Gas scare at school
Pupils at a West Lothian primary school were at the centre of a carbon monoxide scare.
Youngsters from St Joseph’s Primary in Whitburn were evacuated from the building over fears the deadly gas could be present in the building.
Six pupils were taken by ambulance to St John’s Hospital in Livingston after saying they felt unwell, while the rest of the school was decanted to nearby Polkemmet Primary.
The Courier understands a petrol generator being used in the building set off the smoke alarm last Wednesday morning.
When firefighters arrived they warned about the dangers of carbon monoxide and some pupils reported feeling unwell. They were taken to hospital but didn’t need any treatment and were sent home.
The school re-opened as normal on Thursday morning. No carbon monoxide was detected and the smoke alarm was activated by dust from the generator. However one
The spokesperson added: “We are satisfied that school staff acted in a professional and timely manner, and that parents received timely information, especially given the circumstances. The priority for staff in instances such as this is the safety of pupils. However several GroupCall messages were sent to all parents a short time after the alarm was activated. Messages were also communicated via the council’s social media channels. Staff also made every effort to directly contact all parents whose children were taken to hospital. A letter is also being sent to all parents on Thursday.”
A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “At 10.54am on Wednesday, March 29, the SFRS was mobilised to St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Whitburn. Firefighters ventilated the property which was evacuated and closed. The SFRS ensured the area was made safe before leaving the scene.”
NHS Lothian chief nurse, Agnes Ritchie, added: “A small number of pupils from St Joseph’s Primary School reported feeling unwell after maintenance workers caused a fire alarm to sound.