Fatal Poultry Plant Gas Release Linked to Poor Safety Procedures

The deaths of six workers at a Georgia chicken processing plant from asphyxiation by nitrogen gas were attributed to a cascading set of mechanical and planning failures, a federal report issued Monday said.

The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board determined the cause of the Jan. 21, 2021, nitrogen release at a Foundation Food Group plant in Gainesville, Ga., was from the failure of a freezer’s control system to accurately measure and limit the level of nitrogen, a refrigerant, inside the freezer.

The gauge was broken because of a dent in a tube that likely happened during maintenance, the ...