Seventeen treated after acid spillage

SEVENTEEN people were treated in hospital yesterday after nitric acid spilled onto the roadway at a busy roundabout in west Dublin.

The highly caustic substance escaped from barrels that fell off a canvas-covered lorry on the Church Road roundabout outside Mulhuddart just after 9am, causing restricted access to the village.

Nearby residents were urged to stay indoors and to close all windows for three hours while emergency services dealt with the spill.

A car just behind the lorry was splashed with the concentrated acid. All three occupants were taken by ambulance to the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown and were discharged shortly after being treated.

A further 13 people admitted themselves to the hospital complaining of sore throats and breathing difficulties. Their complaints were found not to be serious and all were discharged after treatment.

Inhaling nitric acid fumes can cause irritation or burns to the respiratory system and may lead to pneumonia and a collection of fluid in the lungs, which can be fatal.

Around 10 barrels, each containing around 230 litres of acid, fell onto the roadway from the transport truck but only some of them burst upon impact.

Dublin Fire Brigade immediately sent two ambulances and four fire fighting units to the scene as a precaution.

Fire fighters warned that it would have been a far more serious situation had the acid ignited.

Most of the corrosive acid quickly evaporated from the road that was warmed by early morning sunshine and a fresh breeze helped it to quickly dissipate into the atmosphere.

Fingal County Council called in a specialist chemical company which contained the spill so that it was prevented from entering waterways or coming in contact with vegetation.

The council then treated the residue with a sand-like substance before safely removing all of it from the roadway.

Water was also pumped into drainage systems to ensure that any acid that might be present was safely flushed away.

The Health and Safety Authority is now investigating the accident.

Inspector, Steve McGarry, said the transport of chemicals was highly regulated. The regulations were also very specific on how such chemicals should be carried.

He pointed out that goods vehicles with canvas sides were considered adequate to carry chemicals once they were correctly packaged.

Mr McGarry said they were particularly worried that some of the acid containers had burst open.

“If the regulations had been adhered to, the situation that occurred outside Mulhuddart would not have happened,” he said.

Yesterday’s spillage is the second such incident that occurred in Mulhuddart in recent weeks.

In the middle of last month the exit road to the M50 was sealed off following a spill following a two-vehicle collision. On that occasion nitric acid was also released.

Green MEP, Patricia McKenna, said clearly action needed to be taken to protect people from such risks.

“Hauliers carrying dangerous substances need to adhere to the strict safety standards. Nitric acid is extremely hazardous, it is corrosive, reactive, an oxidiser and a poison,” she stressed.