Hundreds of workers are evacuated from Coca-Cola factory after hydrochloric acid leak 

Two hundred workers were evacuated from a Coca-Cola factory last night after a chemical leak at the plant.

Employees left the site in Sidcup, Kent, before the London Fire Brigade arrived to  the incident on Wednesday evening.

The site was evacuated after a hydrochloric acid leak was identified at the warehouse on Cray Road, with no reports of any injuries.

The corrosive solution, which has a distinctive pungent smell, can cause blindness if splashed in the eyes and can lead to severe burns if it comes into contact with the skin. 

The site was evacuated before the London Fire Brigade arrived

Firefighters were called to reports of a chemical leak at around 8.40pm on Wednesday

The leak was isolated at around 11.30pm with firefighters remaining at the scene throughout the night taking readings of chemicals in the air.

An LFB statement said: ‘We were called to a leak of hydrochloric acid at 20:39 on Wednesday evening.

‘Two hundred people were evacuated from the factory before we arrived.

‘We used chemical equipment to test the levels of chemicals in the area and worked on site to disperse it.

‘The leak was isolated at approximately 23:30 and we remained on scene throughout the night doing checks before we left. The incident is now over.

‘There was no evacuation of residents, and no-one was treated by emergency services. We are not aware of any advice to close windows and doors.’

Firefighters at the scene of the Coca-Cola factory in Sidcup, Kent, where a gas leak was identified 

Firefighters remained on scene overnight at the Coca-Cola facility in Sidcup, Kent

The Coca Cola factory in Sidcup, which has around 270 employees, is one of six manufacturers of the soft drink in the UK.

Machines at the plant mix the brand’s signature syrup with water, carbon dioxide, and sugar or sweetener – producing more than 500,000 products per hour.

The Sidcup operation makes up around 50 per cent of Coca Cola’s UK portfolio – filling 360,000 cans, 132,000 plastic bottles, and 48,000 glass bottles each hour, as well as producing Capri Sun pouches. 

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said: ‘Our production site at Sidcup was temporarily evacuated last night as a precautionary measure.

‘There was no risk to any of our colleagues and the issue has now been resolved. Our site is now back operating as normal.

‘We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and support, and would like to apologise to local residents for any disruption caused overnight.’

A HSE spokesperson said: ‘HSE is aware of the incident and is making initial inquiries.’