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On January 28, 2021, the chiller of a poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Florida failed. Six employees died after the chiller of the plant failed, releasing colorless and odorless liquid nitrogen into the air of the plant , Replacing the oxygen in the room.
Three maintenance workers entered the freezer without taking precautions—never received the fatal effects of nitrogen exposure—and were immediately overcome.
Other workers entered the room and were also subdued. Three maintenance workers and two other workers died immediately, and the sixth died on the way to the hospital.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the incident and found that Foundation Food Group Inc. and Messer LLC in Bridgewater, New Jersey did not implement any necessary safety procedures to prevent nitrogen leakage and did not provide workers with a response. Have the knowledge and equipment that can save their lives.
OSHA cited a total of 59 violations of Foundation Food Group, Messer LLC, Packers Sanitation Services Inc. Ltd. of Keeler, Wisconsin, and FS Group Inc. of Albertville, Alabama (all responsible for the operation of the Gainesville plant) Behavior and proposed to pay a penalty of US$998,637.
OSHA cited 26 violations by Foundation Food Group Inc., including 6 deliberate violations for employees suffering heat injury and suffocation hazards due to uncontrolled release of liquid nitrogen; failure to develop, document, and use lock-out procedures; none Notify employees that liquid nitrogen (a choking agent) is used in the on-site freezer; do not train employees on the methods and observations used to detect the presence or release of nitrogen; do not train employees on the hazards of liquid nitrogen, and do not train employees Conduct training on emergency procedures for self-protection.
The agency found that Messer injured and suffocated workers due to the uncontrolled release of liquid nitrogen; failed to ensure an unobstructed exit path; and failed to develop, document, and use shutdown procedures, and did not ensure that the host employer and contractor shared shutdown procedures .
The agency cited Packers Sanitation Services Inc. Ltd., which provides cleaning and sanitation services for the facility, as saying that the company failed to train workers on the hazards of liquid nitrogen and anhydrous ammonia, and failed to ensure emergency eye washes, which resulted in 17 serious cases. Violation, two repeated violations are available and unimpeded.
OSHA cited similar violations by employers in 2017 and 2018. In addition, OSHA found that Packers failed to:
OSHA also cited eight serious violations by FS Group Inc., which manufactures equipment and provides mechanical services, which failed to train workers on the physical and health hazards of liquid nitrogen and emergency procedures related to liquid nitrogen.
The company also failed to ensure that specific written shutdown procedures were developed and used, and that the host employer and contractor shared information about the shutdown procedures.
These companies have 15 working days to comply with the regulations after receiving the subpoenas and penalties, request informal meetings with OSHA regional directors, or challenge the findings of the investigation in front of an independent occupational safety and health review committee.
Post time: Aug-21-2021