A handyman was fairly dismissed after he “inadvertently” created mustard gas that led to a university pool and gym being evacuated, a tribunal found.
Anthony Brown, who worked for Pinnacle FM, had been topping up chemicals and testing pool water at the University of Hertfordshire when the incident occurred on 12 October 2024.
Brown, who had been employed by the firm for seven years and had a “long, unblemished service”, was dismissed in November 2024 following an internal investigation.
An employment judge at the Watford tribunal found he “wilfully breached health and safety rules” and the incident could have been avoided.
The tribunal had been told during the maintenance of the pool, Brown had “wedged open” a chlorine tap with a piece of wood before answering a phone call and stepping outside.
On returning, he discovered the tank had overflowed.
He continued his duties before finding another spillage in a different room, this time containing sodium bisulphate.
Brown attempted to clean up both spillages using a vacuum cleaner designed for liquids, draining and flushing it with water.
But during this process, he started a chemical reaction, with an employment tribunal hearing he “inadvertently made mustard gas”.
After feeling side effects, Brown notified his manager, resulting in the fire service being called and the pool and gym being evacuated, while Brown was checked by paramedics.
A short time later, it was declared safe and was reopened.