SIX people needed medical treatment after a chemical spillage at an industrial park.

Thirty firefighters were scrambled to package handling firm UPS at its Milton Park depot, near Didcot, after a package of white powder burst inside a delivery van at about 7.45am.

About 60 workers had to be checked, with six treated at the scene by ambulance crew for minor skin rashes and eye irritations.

Fire service hazardous material officers, other fire crew and police cordoned off the site for most of the morning while the substance was investigated.

Incident commander Peter Graham, from Oxford’s Rewley Road fire station, said: “We had a spill of an unknown white powder from a package contained on a delivery van.

“We don’t know if it had come in or was going out.

“It had been damaged and it had burst.

“There was a spill of some of the contents at the back of the vehicle and possibly on an external conveyor belt system. It was not inside the building.

“The substance is sodium disilicate. It’s a component part, sometimes used in things like washing powder.

“It’s an irritant and can be very harmful in large quantities, like any chemical, if you are not careful with them.

“The premises had to be evacuated. We put cordons in place with the other emergency services while we determined what it was.”

Fire crews vacuumed up the substance before staff were allowed to return to work.

Nineteen other staff members, who were not on site at the time of the incident, were forced to wait outside until the area was made safe.

Mr Graham said: “The people who suffered minor injuries were possibly working in the area when it burst or they didn’t realise what they were coming into contact with.”

He added: “It’s a more major chemical spillage because of all the ancillary issues involved with checking everyone for symptoms to make sure they are ok.

“These incidents are fairly rare and they can be quite difficult to contain.”

A UPS spokesman confirmed the depot was evacuated temporarily following concerns about the contents of a package.

She said: “As is normal procedure at UPS, the emergency services were contacted as a precaution.

“It was confirmed that the contents of the package posed no health and safety threat and the operations were resumed as quickly as possible.”

Michelle Gooding, of Doctors.net.uk, based next to the depot, said: “I had to ask one of the police officers if it was safe for us to come in. It was a bit worrying. Everyone was a bit concerned.”

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said the incident had been reported to it but could not confirm if it would be investigating.

A Vale of White Horse District Council spokesman said it had not been involved.

didcot@oxfordmail.co.uk