Date: Saturday 16th October 2004

Call out Time: 10:15 Approx

Arrival Time 11:00 Approx

Location: Picnic and Woodland Area

The fire brigade had previously attended the scene before the call out and cordoned off the area to prevent passerby approaching the drums of Xylene.

Xylene is a colourless, sweet smelling liquid that catches on fire easily. It evaporates quickly from the soil and surface water into the air. High exposure to Xylene vapours over short periods of time can result in irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat, difficulty in breathing; problems with the lungs; delayed reaction times; memory difficulties; stomach discomfort; and possibly changes in the liver and kidneys. It can cause unconsciousness and even death at very high levels.

The use of breathing apparatus was a definite yes.

Our trained staff geared up in BA sets before approaching the Xylene drums. The drums were contained in heavy duty plastic bags and then secured in air tight containers ready for transport to the final disposal point