Specialists dressed in hazmat suits were called to an Aberdeenshire school yesterday following a highly corrosive acid spill.
Three fire appliances with 16 firefighters and an incident support unit were despatched to Westhill Academy just after 5pm, following reports of concentrated nitric acid being spilled in the science department.
The compound is frequently used in educational chemistry experiments, but can cause serious burns when exposed to uncovered skin.
Working within a hazardous chemical cleaning tent, fire staff were seen spraying the ground and disposing of waste material down a drain.
Teachers and displaced staff at the academy waited outside as the emergency services dealt with the issue.
The team successfully decontaminated the scene of the incident and the location was declared safe at around 6.30pm.
An ambulance was called to the school, but nobody was hurt or injured as a result of the spillage.
A spokesman for the fire service said last night: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received a call today at approximately 5pm to report a very small spillage of acid within a chemical store at Westhill Academy.
“Fire engines from North Anderson Drive and central fire station, alongside an incident support vehicle from Dyce, were in attendance supporting local teaching staff to deal with the spillage.
“There are no casualties, and firefighters used neutralising granules to clean up the acid and ventilated the room as a precautionary measure.
“We would affirm there was no risk to any pupils or staff in this incident, and the school will reopen as usual on Tuesday.”
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council added: “There has been a small spillage of concentrate nitric acid in the science laboratory at Westhill Academy.
“No pupils were in the academy at the time. The fire service were called.”
