The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has launched an investigation into the deadly nitrogen leak that tragically killed six workers at a Gainesville, Georgia poultry processing plant last Thursday morning.
For now, the probe is focused on the facility’s liquid nitrogen system, including major portions that were installed in just the last four to six weeks.
“During this on-scene portion of our investigation, we will not be determining or speculating as to the probable cause,” Katherine Lemos, the Board’s chairman and CEO, said during a news conference convened on Saturday morning. “It’s our civic duty to make sure that we consider all of the potentials and not rule out others too quickly.”
Liquid Nitrogen Line Ruptured on 1 of 5 Production Lines
The January 28th accident occurred shortly after 10:00 a.m. when a pipe carrying liquid nitrogen ruptured on one of five production lines located inside the Foundation Food Group plant in Gainesville, about 55 miles outside of Atlanta.
Six people died after inhaling the fumes, five inside the plant and one at the hospital. But Lemos suggested the carnage could have been even worse.
“The maintenance manager described personally closing the isolation valves of the tanks in the parking lot subsequent to the event, shutting off the supply to the building, which limited the potential damage or consequence,” she said.
Nevertheless, about a dozen people were taken to the hospital with respiratory problems, including several who were critically injured.
911 Calls Detail Harrowing Conditions Inside Foundation Food Group Plant
Recordings of 911 calls released since the incident suggest those inside the plant were subjected to a harrowing ordeal.
“I got a phone call from one of my employees saying that I’ve got a person who potentially could be frozen from liquid nitrogen,” an individual who identified himself as the plant’s director told a 911 operator in one of the first calls made that morning.
The same individual would later make a second call, telling the dispatcher he was now in the back of the plant.
“What can I do with someone who’s been affected?” he asked.
“I’ve got one on his side,” the caller continued.
“Is he breathing?” the dispatcher asked him.
“He’s breathing — but struggling, though,” the caller replied. “He’s foaming at the mouth; eyes are open, struggling.”
The facility was being evacuated at that point, and screams could be heard in the background.
Poultry Processing Plants Known for Poor Working Conditions
Foundation Food Group was formed on January 1st, after the plant’s previous owner, Prime-Pak Foods, merged with Victory Processing. The facility is one of 40 poultry processing plants in Georgia, the nation’s top producer of chicken.
In 2015, the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration fined the facility more than $100,000 in connection with a dozen workplace safety violations. The plant was assessed another $40,000 in penalties for additional violations in 2016.
The following year, two employees were forced to undergo amputations after their hands became stuck in a food mixer. The plant was fined $3,750 in 2019.
Nationwide, the poultry processing industry is known for poor working conditions, low wages, and a relatively high rate of severe injury. News cameras are seldom allowed inside Georgia’s chicken plants, where most workers are unskilled and many are undocumented.
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