From: Richard Rosera <richardrosera**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Liquid nitrogen leak at Georgia poultry plant kills 6
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:15:39 -0800
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: F5C1F537-36F9-4EFB-9093-9ACE2C531394**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com
In-Reply-To


I would be most interested in learning the details of how the liquid N2 line was ruptured, what the design of the system was, and the like.  The CSB is deploying to the site, so there will likely be some illumination on these points, as well as appropriate recommendations.


Remember the old Terminator movie (T2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grzObtNOIX0), where the "advanced model T1000" Terminator is temporarily frozen & shot to pieces when a tank truck of liquid N2 ruptures?  When I first saw it, I remember thinking, "neat effect, but every human in the vicinity would be dead!"

Richard Rosera
Rosearray EHS Services LLC
1958 Northgate Drive
Manteca, CA 95336
Mobile:  908-279-4463

On Jan 28, 2021, at 4:44 PM, Alan Hall <oldeddoc**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM> wrote:

Et al,

N2 is a simple asphyxiant, displacing oxygen from the breathing atmosphere until it is insufficient to sustain life.

What ameorfatoration might be possible?  The lieky 10 minutes to evacuate might be obtaqned with the old Air Force 10-minute O2 bottle, but would not be very cost effective and unlikely to be supplies to workers nor would the required training likely be done.

  There should be some efficacious engineering controls supplying if nothing else, fresh air ingress, exhaust ventilation, and perhaps the kind of smoke masks with ambient air the Air Force used to have for transport pilots (worn one myself)..

Might not be cost effective, but what's a human life worth?  Especially if it's yours.

Engineering controls would be the best answer, and a rapid escape route to fresh air with appropriate training might be an effective administrative control.
 trained rescuers with appropriate PPE (supplied air  level Bor with SCBA woulld seem reasonable)..  Still not better than prevention.  If it doesn't happen, nobody needs to respond to it.
Tchey response is necessary.prior coordination with local HAZMAT responder would be highly advisable.
and 
These are some suggeions only..

PREVENTION IS ALWATS YBETTER THAN RESPONSE!

Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medical Toxicologist
Major, USAFR, MC, FS (Hon. Ret.)

On Thu, Jan 28, 2021 at 5:21 PM Reinhardt, Peter <peter.reinhardt**At_Symbol_Here**yale.edu> wrote:

How much does an oxygen sensor/alarm cost? -- Pete

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> on behalf of Rob Torkei <info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM>
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 5:12 PM
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU" <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Liquid nitrogen leak at Georgia poultry plant kills 6

 

Wow.  https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/liquid-nitrogen-leak-georgia-poultry-plant-kills-75543081

 

GAINESVILLE, Ga, -- A liquid nitrogen leak at a northeast Georgia poultry plant killed six people Thursday, with multiple others taken to the hospital, officials said.

 

At least three of those injured at the Foundation Food Group plant in Gainesville were reported in critical condition.

 

Poultry plants rely on refrigeration systems that can include liquid nitrogen. Firefighters, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the state fire marshal were investigating the cause of the leak.

 

"It was a leak of unknown cause that has occurred in the system here," Hall County Fire Department Division Chief Zach Brackett said. "We still have a lot of information we're trying to gather from the scene."

 

Foundation Food Group Vice President for Human Resources Nicholas Ancrum called the leak a tragic accident and said early indications are that a nitrogen line ruptured in the facility.

 

 

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