AP
GAINESVILLE, Ga, (AP) — A liquid nitrogen leak at a northeast Georgia poultry plant killed six people Thursday, with multiple others taken to the hospital, officials said.
Beth Downs, a spokesperson for Northeast Georgia Health System, said five people died at the Gainesville plant before they could be taken to the hospital and one person died in the emergency room.
Hall County Fire Department Division Chief Zach Brackett said firefighters responded to the leak at Prime Pak Foods just after 10 a.m.
(snip)
At least four firefighters were injured and take to the hospital with what Brackett described as “respiratory complaints.”
Brackett said about 130 workers were taken by bus to a nearby church where they were examined for injuries. Couch said one person was taken to the hospital from there.
WSB-TV
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, officials said five people died at the plant, 12 people were taken to a nearby hospital and one of those people has since died. Of those in the hospital, three remain in critical condition, three people were treated and released and another five people were in fair conditions officials with the Northeast Georgia Health System said.
All of the injuries were said to be respiratory in nature, hospital officials said.
Officials say three Gainesville firefighters and one firefighter from Hall County were among those taken to the hospital.
The major news outlets are picking up the story but so far are just repeating the story AP posted.
Here’s local footage of the scene I found on youtube. There doesn’t seem to be audio.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nitrogen condenses into a liquid at an incredibly cold temperature: minus 320 degrees. It is often used to flash-freeze food products. Though gaseous nitrogen is non-reactive and not harmful in small doses, too much can reduce the amount of oxygen in the air and cause asphyxiation. When liquid nitrogen evaporates in large amounts, the vapor can still be extremely cold and cause tissue damage from freeze burns.
Prime Pak has had multiple brushes with OSHA in the past. The meat processor was fined more than $40,000 for violations found in 2016 and $3,750 for violations in 2019, according to records. The company, headquartered in Gainesville, has 157 employees and annual revenue of more than $35 million, according to business data analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.