Panic, confusion, and death were the order of a dreadful day in the aftermath of the Gainesville poultry plant industrial accident. After a catastrophic Prime Pak Foods liquid nitrogen rupture that went off with all the apparent power of an explosion, at least five people were dead inside the Gainesville poultry plant, and one other employee of the company died a short time later in the emergency room.
In addition to the deceased worker, yet to be tallied fully, a number of people were taken from the scene of the plant to area hospitals. As of Friday morning, three workers admitted to medical centers remain listed in critical condition. One patient has been upgraded to fair condition. Three or four firefighters who were called to the scene in the aftermath of the liquid nitrogen pipeline rupture were also admitted to the hospital. Only one of the firefighters remained in the hospital as of Friday morning and was expected to be released at some point during the day.
An alarming development that has come to light since the Gainesville poultry plant chemical explosion is the fact that Prime Pak Foods together with its parent company, Foundation Food Group, have what appropriately can be described as a long history of serious safety violations at the Gainesville poultry plant. Indeed, at the time of the Prime Pak Foods liquid nitrogen leak, the company was subject to an ongoing safety violation investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, that started a month earlier.
Among the most serious of these workplace safety violations were those associated with machinery used in the processing of chicken products at the plant. The company has been fined numerous times in recent years for various worker safety violations, including incidents that resulted in the amputation of employees’ limbs.
Gainesville is considered to be at the heart of the Georgia chicken industry. Liquid nitrogen is widely used in the poultry processing industry. The chemical is used to refrigerate chicken at a processing facility.
In the case of the Prime Pak Foods – Foundation Food Group poultry plant accident, a liquid nitrogen pipeline somehow ruptured. Teams from OSHA, the state Fire Marshal’s office, and other investigatory agencies are working to determine the cause of the liquid nitrogen pipeline rupture.
What is known is that when the pipeline ruptured, liquid nitrogen spewed into the enclosed chicken processing plant. Some individuals were burned as a result of coming into direct contact with the chemical as it blew from the failed pipeline.
Most significantly, when liquid nitrogen is released into the air, it immediately turns into a gas. The gas then rapidly disperses breathable oxygen in an enclosed space. In an extremely short period of time, oxygen was eliminated from the Gainesville poultry plant, resulting in the deaths and injuries of workers.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in the Gainesville poultry plant industrial accident, the experienced, dedicated Doan Law Office legal team is here to answer any questions you might have about your important legal rights. You can reach us any time, day or night, by calling (678) 855-0000.
The Doan Law Firm is home to explosion accident lawyers, industrial accident lawyers, and chemical plant lawyers, all who have strong backgrounds in protecting the legal interests of people injured in disasters like the Gainesville poultry plant industrial accident. We can arrange a consultation with an industrial accident lawyer at any time that is convenient for you. We can meet you at our firm’s offices in Georgia, at your home, at the hospital, or at any location that is convenient for you. We can also schedule an immediate virtual consultation with you online. There is no charge and no obligation for an initial consultation with a Doan Law Firm Georgia industrial accident lawyer.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee guarantee to you. Our firm never charges an attorney fee unless we win your case for you. In the aftermath of a tragic incident like the Gainesville Poultry Plant liquid nitrogen accident, you’ve enough to worry about without being concerned with finding money to pay for an industrial accident lawyer.