Man injured in tractor accident that spills 1,700 litres of fungicide

Monday 13 June 2016

A man was injured when a tractor overturned on a country road this weekend, spilling 1,700 litres of chemicals onto farmland.

The incident happened on a country lane in St Lawrence on Saturday morning at around 9.46 am, when the tractor fitted with boom sprayers overturned.

The driver suffered a broken arm and was hospitalised.

The chemicals spilled – a fungicide – were contained, and didn’t contaminate streams.

Jersey Waterworks were called out to divert streams around the area to cut off the threat of contamination. The fungicide spilled can cause irritation to the respiratory system, but was safely cleaned up using absorbent pads.

Watch Commander Richard Ryan said: “If a member of the public witness an accident involving hazardous materials they should stay away from the incident site to minimize the risk of contamination.

“If they are in a car, close windows and shut off ventilation and if outside, try to stay upstream, uphill and upwind — hazardous materials can quickly be transported by water and wind.”

Picture credit: Jersey Fire and Rescue Service