TWO children are among eight people who were treated by paramedics after chemicals were accidentally mixed in a pool area at Ballarat Specialist School in Wendouree this morning.
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The group were treated for symptoms including breathing difficulties after chlorine and hyrdochloric acid were unintentionally mixed together by a staff member.
The area including adjoining rooms were evacuated.
Fortunately, none of those treated at the scene required hospitalisation.
The area including adjoining rooms were evacuated.
Ballarat City Fire Brigade senior station officer Scott Gambino said it had potential to a serious incident, but by the time firefighters arrived, the gas had disappeared thanks to the strong ventilation in the area.
"We were called to a reported staff and students exposed to a toxic gas as a result of wrongfully mixed pool chemicals which has created an odour throughout the pool setting," senior station officer Gambino said.
"On arrival, the area was isolated and evacuated by the fire brigade and the staff at the school.
"We ran detectors through the buildings to make sure it was all clear, make sure the pool content was at safe levels and also contain and neutralise the product that was mix incorrectly.
"In all six adults and two students were treated with breathing difficulties, it can present a number of symptoms, headaches, nausea and the like."
He said it did not take much for the chemicals to react to each other.
"All up there was 10 litres of hydrochloric acid and 5 litres of chlorine that was mixed," he said.
"The Hazmat from Lucas attended and to us to have that here in Ballarat is a luxury, but its incident like this that shows it's an absolute requirement."
The school has been contacted for comment.
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