Equipment and process failures were to blame for a fatal 2021 liquid nitrogen leak at a Foundation Food Group (FFG) facility in Gainesville, Georgia, according to an investigative report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).
The January 28, 2021, liquid nitrogen leak led to the death of six people, identified as Saulo Suarez-Bernal, Jose De-Jesus Elias-Cabrera, Corey Alan Murphy, Nelly Perez-Rafael, Victor Vellez and Edgar Vera-Garcia.
Foundation Food Group was fined nearly $600,000 by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) for alleged violations connected to the January incident.
Gold Creek Foods, a further processor of chicken products, acquired Foundation Food Group later in 2021.
“This needless and senseless tragedy was completely preventable. Six people died and four others were seriously injured because of a bent tube and FFG’s failure to have critical monitoring equipment and warning alarms and FFG’s failure to adequately train and equip its employees to respond safely to a liquid nitrogen release,” CSB chairperson Steve Owens said.
Safety issues identified
The report emphasized five key safety issues:
- A bubbler tube located in the immersion freezer design was bent, likely during a maintenance activity. As a result, the tube was unable to control the freezer’s liquid nitrogen level, which overflowed and filled the room with liquid nitrogen.
- FFG failed to install atmospheric monitoring equipment in the freezer room.
- FFG failed to inform, train, equip or otherwise prepare its workforce for the hazards of nitrogen and what to do if a nitrogen leak occurred.
- In addition, the company did not have a documented safety management policy and left the job responsible for safety management vacant for more than a year prior to the leak.
- FFG leased the liquid nitrogen bulk storage tanks and Line 4 immersion-spiral freezer from Messer. Even though Messer identified issues with safety and nonconformance to safety guidance on FFG’s part, the company continued to supply FFG with liquid nitrogen.
“The CSB’s key safety issues outline the important lessons from this incident. Workers were not aware of the deadly consequences of a liquid nitrogen release – ultimately trying to save their colleagues led to them sacrificing their own lives. This is a known hazard, and better training and communication could have prevented such a tragedy,” investigator-in-charge Drew Sahli said.
The CSB report also included recommendations for the current facility owner, the manufacturer of the freezer, OSHA and two standard-setting organizations.
