But when it evaporates, the resulting nitrogen gas can fill a much larger space and can quickly displace life-critical air and oxygen, leading to a choking hazard, said Rick L. Danheiser, professor of chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Because of its low temperature, liquid nitrogen can also cause cryogenic burns on contact, he said.
In refrigerators and refrigerators, the seals on the pressurized liquid nitrogen lines should be routinely checked for leaks, the unions said.
If it becomes clear that the factory was saving to save costs, the company should be sued, said Mark Lauritsen, director of food processing, packaging and manufacturing at United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents about 250,000 meat and poultry. workers.
“It should never happen,” considering how dangerous the chemical is, said Lauritsen.
The nitrogen spill was one of several deadly industrial accidents in recent years.
In April 2010, 11 people died when an explosion hit the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering one of the worst offshore oil spills in the United States. In May 2020, 11 people died in India and hundreds became ill after a tank containing styrene, a liquid used in making plastics, leaked, officials said.
Other recent industrial accidents have caused thousands to flee their homes.
In November 2019, 30,000 people in southeastern Texas were evacuated after a pair of explosions shook the Texas Petroleum Chemical plant. And in 2017, 21 emergency workers in Texas were treated for exposure to smoke after Hurricane Harvey caused fires at the Arkema chemical plant.
The fatal accident on Thursday morning was silent, at least for one employee, Maria Bonilla, 60.
Mrs. Bonilla, a Salvadoran immigrant who does not speak English, was working in the marination department of the extensive factory. She heard no explosion, bang or scream.