A leak in a high-pressure tank holding carbon dioxide resulted in the evacuation of the Foster Farms Belgravia plant in Fresno, CA. on Friday, December 23rd.
No workers or first responders were injured or affected by the incident. The plant ceased operation during the afternoon but resumed production the following day.
The prompt response to the incident involving contingency planning and training, stands in stark contrast to the tragedy on January 28th 2021, at the Foundation Food Group plant in Gainesville, GA. when a release of nitrogen in a confined space resulted in the deaths of six workers and hospitalization, albeit temporary, of up to 130 employees exposed to a hypoxic environment.
It is inevitable that leakage of ammonia, nitrogen and carbon dioxide will occur despite high levels of maintenance and installations that conform to engineering codes. The difference between tragedy and simply a period of down-time relates to preemptive action including planning, preventive maintenance, inspections, training of personnel and incident drills.