A pub worker cleaning a urinal almost succumbed to fatally toxic fumes after he unwittingly created a mixture used in chemical warfare during WW1.
Jason Smith, assistant manager at the Leg of Mutton and Cauliflower, Ashtead, said he had no idea pouring descaler then bleach down the urinal would result in poisonous chlorine gas.
Mr Smith said: “The chemicals combined and started pumping out toxic vapour. When I saw vapour coming out I left because I knew it was not very good.”
But Mr Smith said he then decided to go back inside the pub toilet in order to wedge open the door and let fresh air inside.
He said: “When I bent down close to the ground, my eyes were stinging, my lungs were burning and I nearly passed out.”
Fighting back the fumes he swiftly evacuated the pub and rang NHS Direct and 101 to get advice.
He said: “I realised what was happening very quickly and sealed off the section. I was about to go in there with a bucket of water when the fire brigade turned up. They took in a giant fan to blow the vapours away.”
Epsom firefighters who attended the incident at 3.30pm on Saturday said Mr Smith was lucky to escape the toilet still conscious.
Crew manager Jon Bennett said: “He thought he was doing the right thing pouring the bleach and descaler in the toilet. If he had stayed in there we would have been carrying him out rather than him stumbling out.”
Descaling agents can sometimes include hydrochloric acid, which, if mixed with bleach can create chlorine gas, a very toxic substance used to kill thousands during World War One.
Mr Smith, who still had chest pains three days later, said he was left feeling “pretty stupid” for only leaving about five minutes between pouring in the descaler then the bleach.
He said: “I knew from household chemicals you could create mustard gas, but I didn’t realise it was the combination I had in my hands at the time.”
Councillor Chris Townsend, leader of Mole Valley Council, said: “This incident highlights the need to take care when handling dangerous products and for people to always remember to read the label before using them."
Roger Bibbings, occupational safety adviser at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: “It is important to read materials’ hazard data sheets and the labels on the backs of cleaning products, which should detail clear instructions for safe use.
“Many cleaning substances are hazardous and if handled incorrectly, they can cause irritation, inflammation or chemical burns.
"Mixing chemical products together is extremely dangerous and can produce toxic vapours such as chlorine.”
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