Fire service says 200-litre carcinogen spill at Christchurch firm, company disputes claim

Three people hospitalised, one critical, after incident at Solvent Rescue; director says worker tripped, no spill occurred

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has revealed that last week's callout to a Christchurch chemical company involved a reported spill of 200 litres of trichloroethylene, a carcinogenic industrial degreaser, but the company disputes the account, saying no spill occurred and one of its workers simply tripped and fell.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said firefighters were called to Solvent Rescue in Coleridge Street in the Sydenham suburb about 3.50pm last Thursday. Crews found one person unconscious and had to rescue two people from the building. Three people were taken to hospital, including one in a critical condition.

On Wednesday, FENZ said the callout was for a chemical spill of about 200 litres of trichloroethylene, a non-flammable, colourless liquid used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. Trichloroethylene is also used in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids and spot removers.

Solvent Rescue director Chris Bathurst told RNZ there was no spill. "Our distillation operator was cutting open a cold 210-litre drum of chemical waste paint thinner. He appears to have tripped and fallen on the concrete floor," Bathurst said in an emailed statement. "There was no chemical spill or release of vapours into the atmosphere. St John assessed all three of us and we were taken to the emergency department for observation, but everyone is recovering well."

Following subsequent inquiries from RNZ, Bathurst said the drum still contained 200 litres of the chemical and nothing was spilled or removed.

WorkSafe said it was still making enquiries and no decision had been made as to whether it would investigate.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The incident raises questions about safety protocols at industrial chemical facilities and the accuracy of emergency reporting.
Potential health risks for workers and the surrounding community from exposure to a known carcinogen.
The outcome of WorkSafe's enquiries could lead to regulatory action or changes in handling procedures.

Background

Solvent Rescue is a Christchurch-based company that handles chemical waste. Trichloroethylene is a widely used industrial degreaser but is classified as a carcinogen. The company and FENZ gave conflicting accounts of the event. The Health and Safety at Work Act places duties on employers to manage risks from hazardous substances.

Key Perspectives

Fire and Emergency New Zealand: Report of a 200-litre spill of trichloroethylene, requiring a rescue response and three hospitalisations. Solvent Rescue (Chris Bathurst): Denies any spill occurred; attributes the incident to a worker tripping and falling on a concrete floor while opening a drum; says all three staff are recovering. WorkSafe: Investigating; no decision yet on whether to proceed with a formal inquiry.

What to Watch

Whether WorkSafe launches a formal investigation and what its findings reveal.
Any follow-up reports from the hospitalised workers on the cause of their collapse.
Potential changes to chemical handling regulations at smaller industrial sites.

Sources

Cancerous chemical at centre of callout revealed · RNZ New Zealand Headlines

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe headline says Fire and Emergency reported a 200-litre carcinogen spill at a Christchurch firm, which the company disputes.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Fire and Emergency have revealed last week's callout to a Christchurch chemical company was sparked by the reported spill of 200 litres of a carcinogenic industrial degreaser.”
SupportedThe summary says three people were hospitalised, including one in a critical condition.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Three people were taken to hospital, including one in a critical condition.”
Partly supportedThe summary says the director said a worker simply tripped and fell.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““Our distillation operator was cutting open a cold 210-litre drum of chemical waste paint thinner. He appears to have tripped and fallen on the concrete floor,” Bathurst said, in an emailed statement.”
SupportedThe summary says the director stated that no spill occurred.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Solvent Rescue director Chris Bathurst told RNZ there was no spill.”
SupportedThe opening says FENZ revealed the callout involved a reported spill of 200 litres of trichloroethylene, a carcinogenic industrial degreaser.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “FENZ revealed on Wednesday the callout was for a chemical spill of about 200 litres of trichloroethylene.”
SupportedFirefighters were called to Solvent Rescue on Coleridge Street in Sydenham about 3.50pm last Thursday.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Emergency services were called to Solvent Rescue in Coleridge Street in the suburb of Sydenham about 3.50pm last Thursday.”
SupportedFENZ said crews found one person unconscious and rescued two people from the building.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said firefighters found one person unconscious and had to rescue two people from the building.”
SupportedTrichloroethylene is a non-flammable, colourless liquid used mainly to remove grease from metal parts, and is also used in several other products.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Trichloroethylene is a non-flammable, colourless liquid used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. But it is also used as an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids and spot removers.”
SupportedBathurst said the distillation operator was cutting open a cold 210-litre drum of chemical waste paint thinner and appeared to trip and fall on the concrete floor.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““Our distillation operator was cutting open a cold 210-litre drum of chemical waste paint thinner. He appears to have tripped and fallen on the concrete floor,” Bathurst said, in an emailed statement.”
SupportedBathurst said there was no spill or vapour release, St John assessed all three people, and everyone was recovering well.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““There was no chemical spill or release of vapours into the atmosphere. “St John assessed all three of us and we were taken to the emergency department for observation, but everyone is recovering well.””
SupportedAfter further RNZ inquiries, Bathurst said the drum still contained 200 litres and nothing had been spilled or removed.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Following subsequent inquiries from RNZ, Bathurst said the drum still contained 200 litres of the chemical and nothing was spilled or removed.”
SupportedWorkSafe said it was still making enquiries and had not decided whether to investigate.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “WorkSafe said it was still making enquiries and no decision had been made as to whether it would investigate.”