Health and Safety Executive launches investigation as business confirms incident
04:00, 15 Oct 2025Updated 07:48, 15 Oct 2025
The Unilever factory in Port Sunlight (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
An investigation has been launched after two workers at a famous Merseyside industrial site were hospitalised after a vapour cloud was unexpectedly released while they were unloading items from a delivery. Sources suggest the two men suffered burns to their throats after inhaling the chemical.
The Health and Safety Executive has confirmed to the ECHO it has been notified about the incident at Unilever’s factory in Port Sunlight in Wirral on September 3. The government agency is now investigating the circumstances of what happened.
Sources informed the ECHO of the incident, suggesting it came about because of the release of caustic soda on the site – which is used for a range of industrial uses. The two injured employees are said to have inhaled the substance and burnt their lungs, with the source suggesting the two men remain off work.
We put these claims to Unilever which confirmed such an incident had taken place and did not dispute the details above.
A spokesperson for Unilever said: “We can confirm that a safety incident occurred at our Port Sunlight factory site earlier in September where, during unloading of an ingredient delivered to site by lorry, a small vapour cloud was unexpectedly released in the unloading area, which then quickly dispersed.
“Two employees working nearby received appropriate first aid checks on-site and, as a precaution, were taken to hospital and kept under observation for 24 hours. We remain in close contact with them and are committed to providing the necessary support.
The statement added: “The safety of our employees is our top priority, and a thorough investigation is ongoing with full support of the Health & Safety Executive and both internal and external safety experts.
The model village of Port Sunlight sprung up around William Lever’s Unilever factory(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“Our processes and procedures are being reviewed in detail, and we will be ensuring that any necessary steps are taken to prevent this from occurring in the future.”
A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive said: “We have been notified about the incident and are in the process of investigating.”
Unilever’s Wirral plant is the historic home of the global company, which now employs an international workforce of 127,000 people.
William Lever opened what was his first soap factory in Port Sunlight back in 1888, with the model village surrounding it built to house the workers.
Unilever was officially formed in 1929 and in 1951 the Port Sunlight site became its main research laboratory.
The multinational company is now headquartered in London, but retains a strong presence in Wirral which is set to get stronger.
Earlier this year, Unilever announced major plans to build a new fragrance facility in the area.
This will include a fragrance research and innovation lab, a compounding facility where new fragrances will be blended and developed, and evaluation suites where products will be tested to assess performance and preference.