A trucking company has been criticised for its lack of health and safety concern after a chemical incident in Queenstown earlier this year.
Mainfreight's driver pumped the wrong chemical into a bin at Southern Lakes Laundries (SLL) in Frankton, causing a bubbling reaction in March.
Glenda Dr was cordoned for hours as fire crews tried to establish what chemicals had been released in the air.
Documents obtained by Mountain Scene after an Official Information Act request blame the incident mainly on driver error.
SLL's report to WorkSafe, signed by owner Rob Young, said about 10 litres of "Oxy-Brite'' was mistakenly pumped into SLL's destainer tank on March 10, containing about 220-250 litres, causing an "immediate and obvious reaction''.
The report describes "bubbling in the tank for about three to four seconds with pressure from a build-up of vapour causing the tank lid to blow off''.
"The reaction calmed down after the lid was blown off and then gas/liquid vapour could be seen bubbling out of the tank.''
The panicked driver, whose name is redacted, "immediately realises he has done something wrong'', the SLL report says.
The gas produced would have been oxygen, the report said.
A report by WorkSafe inspector Alice Hansen on March 30 said Mainfreight's two-page report reflected a "lack of concern and culture regarding H&S (health and safety) which is a concern''.
Mainfreight's Cromwell office was told by its head office not to comment to Mountain Scene but, according to the SLL report, Cromwell Mainfreight's owner said "their culture will change and that he had already spoken to the driver''.
WorkSafe, which chose not to investigate Mainfreight further, did not respond by publication deadline.
According to the reports, Queenstown fire services wrongly thought the chemical reaction was a highly toxic chlorine gas, which meant a long response by emergency teams.
WorkSafe's summary of the incident said chemical provider Ecolab would make changes to ensure it was easier to identify equipment, while SLL would review its chemical management and be more proactive with fire volunteers.
-By Mandy Cooper
