A chemical leak at a Coca-Cola factory forced the evacuation of 200 workers last night.
Employees left the Sidcup, Kent, site before the London Fire Brigade arrived on Wednesday evening.
The site was evacuated after a hydrochloric acid leak was discovered at the warehouse on Cray Road, with no injuries reported.
If the corrosive solution, which has a distinct pungent odour, is splashed in the eyes, it can cause blindness and severe burns if it comes into contact with the skin.
The leak was shut down around 11.30 p.m., and firefighters remained on the scene all night, taking chemical readings in the air.
We were called to a hydrochloric acid leak at 20:39 on Wednesday evening,’ said an LFB statement.
‘The factory had been evacuated of two hundred people before we arrived.
We used chemical equipment to test the levels of chemicals in the area and worked on-site to disperse it.
‘The leak was isolated around 23:30, and we stayed on the scene all night doing checks before we left,’ said the crew. The incident has concluded.
‘There was no evacuation, and no one was treated by emergency services. We are unaware of any recommendations to close windows and doors.’
The Coca-Cola factory in Sidcup, which employs approximately 270 people, is one of six in the United Kingdom that produce the soft drink.
The plant’s machines combine the brand’s signature syrup with water, carbon dioxide, and sugar or sweetener, producing over 500,000 products per hour.
Firefighters could be seen donning chemical suits and breathing apparatus and then seen entering the boiler room block. It is understood that the acid is used as part of the sanitation process on site.
The Sidcup facility accounts for approximately half of Coca-UK Cola’s portfolio, filling 360,000 cans, 132,000 plastic bottles, and 48,000 glass bottles per hour, as well as producing Capri Sun pouches.
‘Our production site at Sidcup was temporarily evacuated last night as a precautionary measure,’ said a Coca-Cola Europacific Partners spokesperson.
‘There was no danger to any of our colleagues, and the problem has been resolved. Our website is now fully operational.
‘We would like to thank the emergency services for their prompt response and assistance, and we apologise to local residents for any inconvenience caused overnight.’
‘HSE is aware of the incident and is conducting preliminary inquiries,’ said an HSE spokesperson.
