The death of six workers at a poultry processing plant in Gainesville was completely preventable according to a new federal report released nearly three years after the incident. Six workers died at the Foundation Food Group (FFG) plant in January 2021 when a liquid nitrogen control system in a freezer room failed due to a bent tube that allowed the room to be filled with a deadly cloud.
The severity of the incident was worsened by FFG’s inadequate emergency preparedness, including a failure to install air monitoring and alarm devices. As a result, at least 14 workers entered the freezer room or the surrounding area to investigate the incident or try to rescue coworkers, with three of those workers and a firefighter suffering serious injuries from asphyxiation.
The report made 12 safety recommendations, including calling on OSHA to establish a national standard addressing hazards arising from the storage, use, and/or handling of cryogenic asphyxiants. After the incident, FFG sold the plant to Gold Creek Foods, which is its current owner. Gold Creek does not have liquid nitrogen freezing processes in the building where the incident occurred.
