Driver risks his life after gas mistake
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A DRIVER risked his life after he had mistakenly connected his chemical load to the wrong tank and released a cloud of deadly chlorine gas.
The driver, 34-year-old Mr Colin Smith, battled his way through the gas—which was used in the First World War— to switch off a valve and stop the two chemicals from reacting, Mr Smith was delivering an I8-ton load of sodium hypochlorite on Saturday to the Ionic Plating works in Grove Street, Smethwick, when the accident happened.
He linked the load to a tank containing hydrocloric acid and the gas was produced. Fiftytwo people who might have had contact with the gas were taken to hospital for X-ray checks and hundreds of others were evacuated from their homes.
Mr Smith and his wife and son, who were travelling with him, were also taken to hospital but all were released and suffered no ill effects.
A spokesman for the Ionic works told CM that by turning off the valve Mr Smith prevented the accident from being far worse.