The Fire Service in Tauranga is cleaning up a highly toxic chemical spill of potassium cyanide at a dental clinic.
The spill of about 250 millilitres happened at Evolve Dental Studio on Cameron Road.
Firefighters have been cleaning up the spill and the decontamination unit is on standby to clean the officers and their gear.
A clinic employee, who dropped the chemical, has been taken to hospital as a precaution.
Potassium cyanide is described on the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention website as a highly toxic chemical asphyxiant that interferes with the body's ability to use oxygen.
It said exposure to potassium cyanide could be rapidly fatal.
