'Disaster' proves a success

Nurses, doctors and firefighters donned the suits - which come complete with their own breathing and filtration systems - as part of Exercise Pambo, an emergency decontamination exercise designed to test those on the front line.

The scenario was that a tanker carrying acid had overturned on Market Hill in Barnsley town centre and 60 people had suffered a range of injuries including burns, cuts and breaks.

The 'victims' pulled on yellow T-shirts and descended on Barnsley hospital - some in ambulances, some under their own steam.

Two decontamination units were set up outside the A&E department and the wounded were taken through the sprinkler systems by staff in suits.

Barnsley hospital spokesman Duncan Graham said the exercise had been a success and the people of Barnsley could feel reassured the emergency services were prepared for a disaster.

He added: "The decontamination units worked very well, the fire brigade's one even had a roller for someone on a stretcher to be taken through and even the water was even warm.

"In an emergency we know all the systems we have work and they would definitely save lives. There were one or two points that came up and they will be addressed, such as the lack of a fax machine in the control room set up in the hospital. But overall it seems there were no serious flaws."

No patients were disturbed or operations cancelled, he added.

But medics did run through a mock exercise to ensure they could accommodate all the victims in operating theatres and on wards.

Mike Lees, emergency planner for the PCT, said: "There has been huge investment by all the emergency responders in ensuring that emergency plans will work during a response. It is a golden opportunity to test the 'New Dimension' decontamination equipment under realistic conditions and link into the established care provided by the healthcare providers in Barnsley."