School closed and pupils ill after toxic gas detected

Central
Staffordshire
West Midlands
Thursday 8 October 2015 at 1:35pm

Flash Ley School in Staffordshire Credit: Google Maps

A school in Staffordshire has been closed because of a toxic gas leak, experts have revealed.

Some children at Flash Ley Community Primary School became ill after pupils and staff reported a strong smell in certain parts of the building on Friday.

The school has been closed this week, while scientists carried out air tests. It's now been confirmed that the smell was caused by a leak of formaldehyde. The chemical was present in ducts under the school's corridors, after builders made repairs to them over the summer holidays.

In a statement, the school said it was that chemical which had made some pupils unwell.

The initial result from the air monitoring tests has identified the presence of formaldehyde. This is a common substance which is used extensively in buildings, internal furnishings and household products.In some individuals this substance can cause sore eyes, a sore throat, a cough and nausea. Some of these symptoms were being experienced by some children in the school last week, and so as a precautionary measure we closed the school. The professional advice we have received is that once a person leaves any affected areas the individual should notice improvements and recover from these symptoms At the moment, we believe that long term impact on the health of children or staff at the school is unlikely. We are working closely with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive while further investigation is ongoing. However, we are satisfied that children and staff are not at risk of ongoing exposure.

Formaldehyde is a colourless gas which is very toxic to humans. Inhaling it can cause irritation to the mouth, nose and throat, and in severe cases, it may cause a swelling of the larynx and lungs.

While further tests are carried out, school classes will be relocated to other buildings in the area.

The school has asked parents to take their child to a GP if they continue to suffer from any of the following symptoms:

Irritation of the nose and throat, or feeling breathless
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
Irritation of the eyes and skin
Headaches
Abdominal pain
Wheezing and coughing
Burning sensation in mouth and throat (sore throat)
Feeling generally weak