Crieff Primary School in Perth and Kinross will be closed on Friday due to a suspected chemical leak. The school was evacuated when an adult worker on the premises reportedly took ill. Altogether, 10 adults were taken to the hospital after emergency services were called to the school at around 11:30 on Thursday. Police have not yet identified any spillages or leaks that could have caused the illness. The school will undergo a deep clean over the weekend and is expected to reopen on Monday.
Most of the adults who were hospitalised have been discharged. An NHS Tayside spokesperson has confirmed that none of the patients appeared to have any immediate medical concerns. However, testing will continue to determine the cause of illness experienced by staff members. The Scottish Ambulance Service sent four ambulances and three special operation response teams to the scene. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also dispatched two appliances and one specialist appliance.
Sheena Devlin, children and families spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council, said that the wellbeing of the children and staff was a priority. The council is working closely with its partners in NHS Tayside and Scottish Fire and Rescue to investigate the incident. A police cordon was in place as emergency services looked into the matter.
Scotland has seen a number of similar incidents in recent years. In 2016, Airdrie Academy was closed for two days following a chlorine leak that forced 40 pupils and staff members to be taken to the hospital. In 2018, around a thousand pupils and their teachers were evacuated from Coatbridge High School after a chemical spill in a laboratory. Covid-19 restrictions have added various other challenges to the already difficult job of running schools, and safety measures and protocols have had to be reviewed and updated
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
