A street in Southend had to be cordoned off after a mysterious mercury spill.A whole street?
One fire crew from Rayleigh Weir attended the scene and had to wear special protective masks and clothing to suck up the mercury, which was scattered over a two foot section of the street.Only two feet? Is this a ‘H&S gorn mad!’ story or is this stuff really that toxic?
A specialist waste disposal team was also at the scene to take away the chemical before the road was reopened shortly after 1.10pm.I wonder if this is the result of some of those new ecoloon-approved bulbs we are all expected to buy breaking?
Still, it’s for a vital cause, and we’ve all got to do our bit, eh, Mr Piebalgs?
Oh. Right. Not you, though:
… Mr Piebalgs, the former European Commissioner for Energy, has left the outside lights burning day and night on his £1.25 million luxury home despite neighbours claiming he has not been seen there for weeks.*grinds teeth*
A spokesman for Mr Piebalgs declined to comment.
However, it is understood the lights are a security measure.Gosh, really? Whoever would want to do him harm..?
7 comments:
Some great comments attached to that article BUT we can't be too careful can we? And then there's those tick-boxes that need to filled by the police and fire crew commanders not forgetting the local authority contingency planners. Is there an alchemist on the loose using quicksilver in a dark satanic way methinks?
I heard that some energy saving bulb in the States came with clear warnings: if the bulb fell on the carpet and broke, not only did you have to clear the house and call in help but also –– and this is a real ecoloon wet dream –- throw away the carpet.
Don't you just love our frantic dash to save the planet?
@Green Vomit - I think there is a poster floating around somewhere showing the process in UK public service departments and it involves hazmat teams.
well, Mercury lowest lethal concentration (Rabbit) ~29 mg m-3
It's bioacumulative, and has a relatively high vapour pressure, and while there would appear to be very little risk in this regard, it's one of THOSE materials, like asbestos, dioxins, and plutonium; the sort of material that gets regulatory bodies very excited when it's found lying around....
And to think we used it in chemistry and physics lessons in school these many moons past - we even tried to see how small a blob we could make and roll round the desk.
Ivan is right. The science teacher had plastic bottles of it which he would pour into trays. we were warned that it would dissolve gold and not to touch it.
....that was before elf and safety was invented
"Some great comments attached to that article.."
Indeed!
"..but also –– and this is a real ecoloon wet dream –- throw away the carpet."
Oh, good grief!
"...it's one of THOSE materials, like asbestos, dioxins, and plutonium..."
Maybe they've all seen 'Prophecy'?
We wouldn't want hideously deformed creatures rampaging round Southend. Although even they probably wouldn't venture into York Road.
"..that was before elf and safety was invented"
I wonder if it's still used in schools?
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