Action vow after glue fumes alert

Staff at Shropshire Council are working with suppliers to look at alternative options for securing fittings after fire crews were scrambled to one of its buildings — only to find the call had been triggered by the smell of glue holding a new carpet.

Staff at Raven House, Market Drayton, are looking at using odourless adhesives after crews were called to reports of a smell of fumes.

Diane White, Shropshire Council locality organiser for Wayfarers — a community-based day service for adults with learning disabilities, which is based at Raven House — said: "We have recently had new carpets fitted at Raven House.

"Due to the strong odour from the adhesive securing the carpets, the fire service came out as a precautionary measure but reassured us there was no risk to any staff and service users.

"The room has now been appropriately ventilated and the odour has now dispersed.

"We are working with our suppliers to view other options of securing our fittings such as using odourless adhesives."

Watch manager Roger Smith, from Market Drayton fire station, said the call, at 3pm on Tuesday, had been treated as a hazmat incident - a chemical incident - but it had turned out to be a false alarm.

Mr Smith said members of staff at the Cheshire Street building had complained of nausea, headaches and irritation to the eyes.

He said he thought the smell was a combination of the product used to clean the floor when the old carpet was taken up and the glue used to fix the new carpet.

He said: "We eventually found out that they had had a new carpet fitted in the manager's office on Saturday last week and three members of staff on Monday and Tuesday have been suffering with slight headache and nausea and irritation to the eyes.

"They were rather concerned obviously because there was a strong smell of these fumes in the manager's office, so they contacted our control and they mobilised us accordingly."

Mr Smith said the company which laid the carpet had been contacted and would investigate.

By Deborah Collins