Fire Crews Responded to Chemical Spill at Arla Foods Plant

Emergency services were called to Arla Foods’ creamery near Lockerbie at about 2:20pm on Wednesday after an incident was reported at the site. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it had been alerted at 2:19pm and confirmed that a chemical spillage was present.

The response included three fire engines and a specialist hazardous-substances unit. SFRS separately said that four vehicles were sent to the plant. Fire crews worked to make the area safe, and emergency services remained at the site for more than four hours.

One person was assessed at the scene, according to SFRS, but did not require medical treatment. Arla Foods said there were no reported injuries. The company described the attendance by emergency services as precautionary and linked it to an alarm activation.

The incident occurred at a plant where Arla Foods has been developing additional production capacity. The company began work last year on a new centre of excellence at its Lockerbie creamery, with an announced investment of £90m focused on UHT and lactose-free milk.

Arla Foods has also completed a £34m upgrade to the creamery’s cheddar plant. The facility is described as one of the largest cheese-making sites in the United Kingdom. Neither SFRS nor Arla Foods reported any requirement for medical treatment following Wednesday’s incident.