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Chemical-spill evacuation at university
FIREFIGHTERS were forced to evacuate buildings at Sheffield Hallam University yesterday after a toxic chemical was spilled in a science laboratory.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said more than 200 people had to leave the premises after the incident involving around 200mls of the polymer Nipam, which can be combustible and cause irritations to the skin and respiratory system.
The spillage happened in the Norfolk Building in Pond Street. Two other neighbouring buildings were also evacuated.
Fire crews were called at about 10.15am and spent two hours at the scene. Incident commander Andy Hayter said: "Officers specially trained in dealing with hazardous materials were quickly able to identify the chemical and we put in action a plan to deal with it safely."
University registrar Liz Winders said technicians had followed health and safety procedures and contacted the fire service. She added: "A decontamination unit was deployed to resolve the issue and we followed their advice. There were no injuries to report."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
