WORKERS were evacuated and given medical attention following a chemical spillage.
The incident happened at Roften Galvanising Ltd in Ellesmere Port yesterday morning.
A vat containing an ingot of zinc bubbled over and sparked a small electrical fire, which was put out by staff.
But the spillage caused steam to be given off, so the workers were evacuated.
One was treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics as a precaution. No-one was hurt.
Leading Firefighter Richard Whitley said they were called to the premises on the North Road Industrial Estate at 5.02am.
He explained: 'They galvanise metal there and have a huge vat of zinc, which bubbled over.
'The liquid zinc spilled on the floor, gases were given off and it spread to some electrical cables on the floor, sparking off a small fire.'
Six members of staff were evacuated. Mr Whitley added: 'We could not use water on the fire, as it would have set off the gas.
'Two officers in breathing apparatus went in and found the fire to be out.
'It looked a lot worse than it was. The fire was small and no-one was hurt, although when we first saw the smoke coming out the window and people coughing, it looked serious.'
He said: 'We had to clear the building of the gas before the staff could be safely returned. We were at the incident for about an hour or so.' A spokesman for Mersey Regional Ambulance said: 'One male casualty was treated for slight smoke inhalation but he declined hospital treatment.'
Alison Humphreys, one of the directors at Roften, said: 'We had a big ingot to be melted and staff left it while they had a break.
'But it had an air bubble in it and came over the side. I've never known this to happen before.
'The zinc went on to some cables and there was a small fire which was extinguished by our guys. It also produced some steam.
'Everyone is fine, which is the main thing. There's a limited amount of damage and the vat isn't out of action, so we could carry on working.'
