23/11/10…..Toxic gas warning after ruptured fridge pipe causes evacuation

THAME fire officer, Andy Ford, has warned against defrosting fridges with knives after a Thame employee did just that and was taken to hospital after breathing in toxic gas.

Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service were called to a gas leak at Business Careware Ltd, High St, Thame at 09:51 yesterday (22/11/10)

Andy Ford, who was in charge of the incident, told Thamenews.net: “When we arrived, two officers wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to identify the source of the gas, which turned out to be R12, a gas found in small quantities in old fridges. Whilst this lady was not showing the side effects of breathing in this gas, she was taken to hospital as a precaution because it can be up to four hours before the effects can manifest themselves. These can include cardiac arrest.

“We removed the fridge to the open air and ventilated the building and all was well.”

Knives should never be used to hack away accumulated ice in fridges and freezers. Appliances should be turned off and allowed to defrost gradually.

R-12 Leak Dangers
Inhaling R-12 directly from a leak can be toxic. Freon settles into the lungs whenever it is inhaled. It is heavier than air. Large quantities displace oxygen and can lead to asphyxiation.

In 2008, it killed 20 and injured 21 Russian submariners on board the submarine K-152 Nerpa when a freon-based fire system was activated by mistake.

Freon has been banned from production in the developed world since 1994.