Eleven taken ill after drinking cleaning fluid at Grolsch brewery
Eleven people were taken ill at the Grolsch brewery in Enschede after a tasting tap without a safety lock let cleaning fluid through, the brewer says, and the labour inspectorate is now investigating.
Nine visitors and two tour guides drank water mixed with diluted cleaning fluid containing caustic soda (natronloog) from a tasting tap during a tour of the Grolsch brewery in Enschede on Saturday, the brewer says. The fluid contained a small percentage of caustic soda.
All eleven ended up in hospital and have since gone home. Grolsch says they are doing reasonably well. After tasting the water, visitors had a raw throat and problems with their stomach and mouth.
Grolsch says the tap connection had no technical safety lock. "As a result, cleaning fluid could reach the tasting tap, where brew water is normally tasted," the company said. The pipe is cleaned every three weeks, and that cleaning was under way during the tour.
"Immediately after the incident the tasting tap connection was permanently disconnected and taken out of use," Grolsch said. It is examining what further measures are needed to prevent a repeat. The company says the tap and pipe are separate from beer production: "Our beers are safe to drink."
On Monday afternoon the police said they had handed the investigation to the Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie, the Dutch labour inspectorate. "That means there is no follow-up for us as police," they said. Grolsch says it is cooperating fully with the authorities.
"We realise this incident has had a big impact on the visitors and colleagues involved," Grolsch said, adding that their recovery and aftercare are its highest priority.
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Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie
The Dutch labour inspectorate is the government body that supervises compliance with Dutch employment and working-conditions rules, including workplace safety and health. It works under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and can investigate workplace incidents, inspect companies, and enforce the rules. It is separate from the police, so safety investigations at a business are handled by this inspectorate rather than by criminal investigators.