CSB Deploys Investigators to Site of Fatal Ammonia Release at Tyson Foods

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying an investigation team to begin an assessment of the fatal ammonia gas release at Tyson Foods, Inc. in South Hutchinson, Kansas.

Media reports indicate that a refrigeration line broke, releasing toxic ammonia gas. The exposure led to one worker fatality and serious injury of another worker. Tyson Foods, Inc. is a food processing company specializing in poultry, beef, and pork food services.

The CSB team will be led by supervising investigator John Vorderbrueggen, P.E., and will be accompanied by CSB Board Member John Bresland. Team members will arrive at the Tyson's facility in Kansas tomorrow morning to begin their investigative work.

The investigators will collect information that will assist the Board in deciding whether to conduct a full investigation of the causes of the incident.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems, regulations, and industry standards.