OSHA levies nearly $1M in fines after six deaths at poultry plant
Nitrogen leaking from a malfunctioning freezer caused five employees to die immediately.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is levying more than $998,000 in fines against four companies that operate a poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Ga., following the death of six workers due to nitrogen leaking from a malfunctioning freezer. The safety administration found a total of 59 violations, including repeat infractions, at the facility.
Shortly after a shift had started, the freezer began releasing liquid nitrogen, which is colorless and odorless, into the plant’s air, displacing oxygen in the room, OSHA reported. Without taking any precautions, as they were not trained on the deadly effects of nitrogen exposure, three maintenance workers entered the freezer room and were overcome immediately. Subsequently, other workers entered the room and were also overtaken.
The three maintenance workers, along with two other employees, died immediately. A sixth died on the way to the hospital, while at least a dozen other injured workers received hospital care.
“Six people’s deaths, and injuries suffered by at least a dozen others, were entirely avoidable,” U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in a release. “The Department of Labor is dedicated to upholding the law and using everything in our power to get justice for the workers’ families. The bottom line is no one should leave for work wondering if they’ll return home at the end of the day, and the Department of Labor is committed to holding bad actors accountable.”
After investigating, OSHA found that Foundation Food Group Inc., and Messer LLC, of Bridgewater, N.J., failed to implement any of the safety procedures necessary to prevent the nitrogen leak, nor did they equip workers responding to the leak with the knowledge or equipment that could have saved their lives.
Along with Foundation Food Group and Messer, OSHA cited Packers Sanitation Services Inc. Ltd., of Wisconsin, and FS Group Inc., of Alabama, for a host of violations, including repeat infractions. These included failing to perform hazard assessments for exposure to liquid nitrogen and not sharing with employees and contractors lockout procedures. The four companies were responsible for the operation of the plant, OSHA reported.
“This horrible tragedy could have been prevented had the employers taken the time to use — and teach their workers the importance of — safety precautions,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta in a release. “Instead, six workers died as a result of their employers’ failure to follow necessary procedures and to comply with required safety and health standards. We hope other industry employers learn from this terrible incident and comply with safety and health requirements to prevent similar incidents.”
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