A WORKER suffered a chemical contamination after an industrial accident, causing a scare when he was admitted to hospital.

The accident occurred at 12.48am today at Invotec Group Ltd in Cunliffe Road, Whitebirk.

The man, who is thought to have suffered chemical burns, was taken by ambulance to Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

But ambulance personnel only realised there was a risk of chemical contamination when he arrived at the hospital.

Lancashire fire service's decontamination unit and incident support unit were mobilised to the hospital.

However, it is thought there was deemed to be no risk of the chemical affecting other people and the decontamination unit was not needed.

The company make high technology circuit boards for industry.

An ambulance spokesman said: "We took a man to BRI but it wasn't until we got to the hospital that we knew he had some sort of chemical spillage."

The company were unavailable for comment.

A fire service spokesman said that the chemical on the casualty was sodium persulphate.

However, the chemist at the company identified this to be a two per cent solution and being of low hazard.

He added there was therefore no need for the fire service to decontaminate him or the hospital.