Three courier workers have been left with burnt hands after hydrogen peroxide leaked from a package.
At 7.47am yesterday the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to the Fastway Couriers depot on McNulty St in Cromwell.
Manager Allison Rowley said she and two other workers had their hands burnt and turned white from liquid which leaked from a parcel while they were sorting freight.
"Nobody knew what it was. We only found out later it was DG [dangerous goods].''
It was later discovered to be a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, about a litre in size.
"But a litre can cause a lot of damage,'' she said.
It spilled into the freight, but did not seem to have damaged other packages, she said.
Hydrogen peroxide was allowed to be sent, but should be well wrapped, she said.
"When people are sending items like that they should make sure they are packaged properly.''
They washed the liquid off their hands and called an ambulance, which took them to the Cromwell Medical Centre.
"They basically just observed. Checked us over. Everyone's fine, but the hands are still a bit tender.''
Cromwell Deputy Chief Fire Officer Neil Gillespie said firefighters were called to the scene but were not needed.
