Incident on North-South Road - non toxic gas venting from pipe - no risk to health
Posted on behalf of: Communications
Last updated: Wednesday, 4 March 2026
We want to let you know about an ongoing incident on campus involving the liquid nitrogen storage vessel on the North–South Road* but reassure you that it does not pose any risk to health.
During a routine refill by our contractor, BOC, a section of pipework failed and cannot currently be isolated. As a result, gaseous nitrogen is safely venting from the tank, which is creating a visible cloud.
This will continue until the tank has fully vented and is expected to last a few hours at most.
Importantly, nitrogen is non-toxic and non-flammable. It is being released into the open air, and the risk of oxygen depletion to a level that would pose a health hazard is very low. There is no significant risk to people on campus.
The main impact is reduced visibility on the North–South Road when gusts of wind carry the cloud in that direction. As a precaution, the area immediately around the vessel has been closed, and members of the technical team, Sussex Estates and Facilities and transport colleagues are on site. They are managing the situation and will partially close the north–south road if necessary to ensure everyone’s safety while the tank finishes venting.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates if needed.
*in-between Shawcross, Chichester 1 and 2, and Arundel