Eight people had to be taken to hospital following a chemical leak at a Norfolk factory.
Emergency services were called to Easy Cleaning Solutions in Thetford at 8.15 a.m. on Tuesday due to reports of people feeling ill after inhaling fumes.
Twenty persons were checked on the scene at the town’s Brunel Way industrial area, with seven women and one male transported to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds for further treatment.
A representative for the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust stated, “Today, we cared for eight patients who arrived at the West Suffolk Hospital following an incident in Thetford and were all discharged.”
“We thank our emergency department colleagues and public sector partners, particularly the East of England Ambulance Service, for their fast response which ensured that these patients were seen as quickly as possible.”
Easy Cleaning Solutions, which has declined to comment, makes a variety of chemical and cleaning solutions, including bleach, antiseptic, and disinfectants, and employs over 200 people.
In 2019, the plant was evacuated after a chemical fire broke out, requiring dozens of firefighters to extinguish it.
The event on Tuesday sparked a large-scale reaction from emergency services, including police and fire teams from Thetford, Sprowston, and East Harling, as well as four ambulances, four paramedic cars, and three hazardous response vehicles. The crews had gone at 11 a.m.
One worker, who begged not to be identified, stated, “I was in a different part of the factory when everything happened. But it’s scary.”
“I am sure I will get a rundown on actually what has happened and when, but I really hope my colleagues who have been taken to hospital are okay.”
The company has been producing chemicals for over 150 years, with John Jeyes patenting his Jeyes Fluid disinfection liquid in 1877.
The substance, which received a Royal Warrant in 1896, is used to remove microorganisms and is popular with gardeners for cleaning walkways and greenhouses.
Jeyes was one of a number of multinational enterprises that established important locations in Thetford during the 1950s and 1960s, when the town experienced significant growth as it welcomed new ‘overspill’ populations from London.
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