Two employees who were poisoned by the ammonia leak in a refrigerator in Paraíso do Tocantins are hospitalized at the city’s Regional Hospital. According to the State Department of Health (SES), the total number of medical visits related to the case reached 23 people. Of these, 20 were discharged.
The leak happened on Wednesday morning (24). The Plena meatpacking company reported that the leak of a “refrigeration gas” was controlled in around 20 minutes and all employees are doing well, with 15 under observation in the hospital. He also stated that production was halted in the morning and would resume in the afternoon. (See full note below)
Regarding the victims who are hospitalized, the company said it has a nurse on duty at the hospital, and a doctor accompanying two people who are under observation. According to the slaughterhouse’s advisory, the patients are doing well.
To the g1, One of the victims who needed hospitalization after inhaling ammonia said he passed out and had to be rescued by his co-workers.
“I thought it was training at the time of the leak and I ended up staying behind while everyone ran. When I went up the stairs to the exit, I had already inhaled a lot of ammonia and I ended up losing my strength and having dark vision and passed out”, he recalls.
The worker, who preferred not to be identified, reports having difficulty breathing, although her clinical condition is not considered serious. “I am being medicated and receiving treatment,” she says.
Firefighters were called around 8:30 a.m. and it was reported that some people were unconscious. Some workers also reported anxiety due to the tingling sensation on their skin.
Upon arrival at the scene, the fire team was informed that the leak was controlled by the company. During the emergency services, no one was found unconscious.
According to firefighters, the leak occurred in an NH3 centrifugal pump, used for refrigeration. One of the employees told the military that a pressure valve had ruptured after a power outage and when it returned, it would have caused pressure in the pipes, causing the valve to rupture.
The company was advised by the firefighters to use an exhaust fan to renew the air in the environment, so that during the day the place would return to normal. There were no serious casualties and the situation at the site was normalized.
The causes of the leak are still being investigated.
The company informs that, today, around 8 am, a refrigeration gas leak was identified at the unit in Paraíso do Tocantins (TO). The work safety team immediately provided first assistance, called the Fire Department and controlled the leak in approximately 20 minutes.
Around 15 people were treated and are doing well. They were taken to a city hospital for observation.
For reasons of safety and care for people, production was interrupted at the unit. The resumption of production has already been approved by the Fire Department and will take place in the afternoon.
Tags: Employee reports rush passed ammonia leak refrigerator thought training Tocantins
