Over 60 Shoppers Examined By Paramedics

By Rob Dixon

More than 60 people required medical assistance yesterday evening, following a gas leak at a Sainsbury’s food store at Hedge End, near Southampton.

Hundreds of customers and staff from the Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer stores were evacuated following a gas leak from a refrigerator unit inside the Sainsbury’s store.

Emergency services attended the scene treating over 60 people, with one person taken to hospital.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson confirmed that the site is now safe following air quality checks by the emergency services.

Irwin Mitchell has extensive experience in helping workers and the general public who have suffered illness or injury as a result of exposure to harmful chemicals, helping them to obtain answers over the issues they have faced and justice over their ordeals.

David Urpeth, a Partner and workplace injury specialist at national law firm, Irwin Mitchell said: “We have seen a number of cases in the past when people have suffered health problems after chemical and gas related incidents similar to this.

“It is obviously a huge concern to see these problems emerge and we hope that the emergency services  are able to determine the cause of these problems, as well as looking at what can be done to prevent them from happening again.

“It is now imperative that the cause of the problem is discovered as hundreds of shoppers visit the store daily and it’s vital that the right action is taken to protect both them and the staff within the stores.

“We have seen many cases like this and during certain incidents it can leave individuals with both short and long term health problems. It is vital that lessons are learnt and therefore any safety improvements are identified and enforced.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in relation to Environmental and Health Pollutant claims