After a chemical spill in a science lab at a Sydney boys’ school this afternoon, nearly thirty people are under observation because they may have felt ill.
Around lunchtime, a 600 ml container of benzyl chloride, a chemical used to make medicines and dyes, leaked in a science room at Hurstville Boys Campus, according to Fire and Rescue NSW.
Those in the spill’s immediate area reported feeling “irritation and smelt strong fumes” immediately.
According to Fire and Rescue NSW, 20 pupils and eight staff members are presently under observation as a precaution.
There have been no hospital admissions.
It is recognized that when the chemical spilled, it was being disposed of.
Ten firefighters, five trucks, and a team of hazardous materials specialists were dispatched by FRNSW to the incident.
The pupils have been relocated to a secure area while the classroom is being cleaned.
Hurstville Boys is a campus of Georges River College that accepts students in Years 7 through 10.
