Ammonia leak confirmed at JBS Swift on Story Ave.; plant evacuated

Posted March 23, 2011 at 11:42 AM

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - WHAS11 News has learned that the JBS Swift & Co. plant in the 1200 block of Story Avenue has been evacuated following an ammonia leak.

Fire officials confirm a leak of anhydrous ammonia coming from an engine room at the meatpacking plant.

Several blocks around the Swift plant are blocked off at this time.

Readings are being taken to determine if there is any threat to anyone in the area surrounding the plant.

Authorities tell WHAS11 News that all personnel has been evacuated and accounted for.

WHAS11.com will continue to update as more information becomes available.

Information on Ammonia:

Ammonia is a colorless gas with a strong, irritating smell. It is widely used as a refrigerant in meatpacking, poultry, and other food processing plants.

Hazards of Ammonia

Ammonia leaks can be very dangerous. These leaks in the refrigeration pipes carrying ammonia to the coolers can endanger all workers in your plant; therefore, it is important to make sure you are protected when one occurs!

Ammonia is extremely irritating, and may severely burn your skin and eyes upon contact. During a leak, a cloud of ammonia gas causes burning and swelling of the air passages of the nose, throat and lungs. Workers exposed to very serious leaks may survive the accident, but may die later from pulmonary edema, a buildup of fluid in the lungs caused by the damaging effect of the gas. Workers may suffer permanent lung and eye problems as a result of exposure to high levels of ammonia.

In Case of an Ammonia Leak

When a release of ammonia is detected, air monitoring should be conducted using a direct reading device. If employees are not evacuated, air monitoring should be conducted during the entire release of ammonia. Initially, readings should be taken every five minutes.

If an air monitoring reading, taken by direct reading method, detects ammonia at or above 25 ppm, the employer should evacuate the employees from the affected area. Employers should not wait for the ammonia to become unbearable.

In case of emergency or a major leak, or if employees complain of health effects, call the fire department. The employer should not wait for air monitoring, but should immediately evacuate employees from the area. Employees not fully protected with appropriate personal protection equipment should not re-enter the area until air-monitoring indicates the ammonia level has fallen below 25 ppm and a second reading indicates that the level is falling.

The "Emergency Response Standard" issued by OSHA contains special protections for those-workers required to assist in dealing with a leak. See the UFCW fact sheet, "Protection from Ammonia Leaks: The Emergency Response Standard," for more information.

NOTE: Many companies have adopted a short-term level of 25 ppm as an evacuation trigger, though it is lower than the 50 ppm OSHA standard. This is a precautionary measure to prevent levels from exceeding the OSHA standard.