LALEHAM Healthcare got hot under the collar last Thursday when a routine process to make denture tablets went wrong, resulting in an unwanted chemical reaction at the Alton factory.

Hampshire Fire crews were called to the Laleham site at Caker Stream Lane, after employees noticed smoke coming from the top of a device used for mixing inert chemicals.

The building was quickly evacuated and the 12 employees inside also managed to remove flammable materials from the factory.

Appliances from Alton and Bordon attended the incident. Twelve of the 19 firefighters at the scene had to tackle the blaze wearing chemical protective suits.

It took three hours to bring the fire under control. An ambulance also attended as a precaution, but nobody was injured.

LalehamÕs managing director Vic Hilliard said: ÒOur guys acted brilliantly. Not only did they shut down the machinery and call the fire brigade, but they also had the presence of mind to remove the few flammable materials in the building to a safe distance.

ÒThe chemicals involved are inert and not dangerous in the slightest. There was a lot of smoke and a lot of heat, but a flame only appeared for a very short time.

ÒThe fire crews were wonderful. They were at the scene in a matter of minutes, and worked with us to determine the best course of action.

ÒDenture tablets are designed to fizz and foam when they come into contact with water, so had they used water, the ton of material involved wouldÕve made quite a bit of foam.

ÒInstead, they used powder extinguishers to bring the temperature down and then dowsed it all down with water.

ÒWe are still not certain exactly what caused the reaction.Our guess is that there was a problem with the mixer that caused friction, which in turn caused the heat that led to the reaction.

ÒThe mixer equipment is damaged beyond repair, so it will have to be replaced .This will cost around £30,000 to replace, and the total repair bill should be around £50,000.

ÒLaleham has been making these tablets for 20 years, and nothing like this has ever happened before.