CO2 confirmed as refrigerant in Sainsbury’s leak

UK: Carbon dioxide has been confirmed as the refrigerant which leaked from the refrigeration system at the Sainsbury’s store in Hedge End on Tuesday.

Sixty two people were treated by paramedics for breathing difficulties and coughing. One person was taken to hospital. The leak also caused the evacuation of the nearby Marks & Spencer store.
The introduction of “environmentally friendly” CO2 systems by the major supermarkets in the UK has not been without incident. In June a Tesco’s store in Newbury was also evacuated following a leak from a CO2 refrigeration system. This followed a similar incident at a Tesco store in Walkden, Greater Manchester in 2010.