Cold chain industrial plants face growth in the number of accidents: from 5 in 2015 to 22 in 2023
Accident with ammonia leak in a meatpacking plant in the municipality of Iporá, Goiás (September 2023)
On April 22, 2024, an accident involving an ammonia gas leak caused the hospitalization of 17 workers at the JBS company in the Marabá unit, in the state of Pará. A similar accident had already occurred in June 2023, causing the hospitalization of 42 workers.
The obsolete detection systems and negligence of companies in accident prevention may be the causes of the increase in the number of accidents involving ammonia in meatpacking plants in Brazil.
Ammonia accidents and leaks in meatpacking plants and cold chain plants in Brazil - 2023
The interactive map below shows the dispersion of accidents throughout 2023 in Brazil:
Accidents involving ammonia poisoning increase 5-fold in Brazil in 2023
one accident with victims every 17 days
The year 2023 records an unprecedented number of accidents involving ammonia leaks in meatpacking plants in Brazil, with a total of 22 accidents in the year. JBS leads the way in cases, with two accidents at the Dourados unit in Mato Grosso do Sul, in March and May 2023; one at the Duque de Caxias unit in Rio de Janeiro in May; one at the Marabá unit in Pará in June and accidents at the Sidrolândia units in Mato Grosso do Sul and Andradina in São Paulo, both in December.
Ammonia accidents and leaks at meatpacking plants and cold chain plants in Brazil (2023)
Meatpacking worker with burns from exposure to ammonia
According to the expert in Occupational Safety Engineering from the Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT), Fernando Alves Leite, these numbers are still far from reflecting the reality of meatpacking plants in Brazil. The expert, who has worked in occupational safety for almost 10 years, states that every day there is a leak in some unit in the country, with more and more victims, and in some cases fatalities.
The extraordinary number of cases, involving hundreds of workers who are poisoned and require medical care, points to a lack of investment in accident prevention and in the maintenance policy of the factories by companies, repeatedly putting the lives of workers at risk.
Small leaks of up to 10 ppm (parts per million) can go unnoticed, despite having the potential to cause eye and throat irritation. Above this level, the damage can be serious, with burns to the skin, eyes and lungs. Depending on the level of exposure, a few minutes can be fatal.
JBS leading the podium
In 2020, journalist Daniel Giovanaz, in an article published by Brasil de Fato, had already highlighted the recent history of companies like JBS in relation to accidents involving ammonia, counting 10 accidents between 2014 and 2020 in JBS plants alone, affecting more than 300 workers.
Accidents involving ammonia leaks can happen for several reasons. In an attempt to consolidate a system for preventing accidents involving ammonia, Regulatory Standards were created, such as NR 36, which among its topics also deals with ammonia.
However, failure to comply with the guidelines of the Standards can lead to accidents. The standards require the installation of appropriately sized and fully functioning ammonia leak accident protection systems.
Refrigeration systems that use ammonia gas must operate under a specific pressure level and must be operated by workers qualified to perform this function. The presence of cracks in valves and pipes, resulting from lack of maintenance, can also lead to serious accidents.
Rusty structures, welds in inappropriate areas or even maintenance carried out during the working hours of the slaughterhouses are among the factors that contribute to the occurrence of accidents.
Among the protective measures to prevent accidents with ammonia, the following stand out:
1. Maintaining environmental concentrations at the lowest possible levels and always below the action level, through adequate ventilation;
2. Implementing mechanisms for early detection of leaks at critical points, coupled with an alarm system;
3. Installing a control panel for the refrigeration system;
4. Installing safety showers and eyewash stations;
5. Keeping emergency exits unobstructed and properly marked;
6. Maintaining appropriate fire prevention and fighting systems in perfect working order;
7. Installing showers or sprinklers above large ammonia vessels to keep them cool in the event of a fire, in accordance with the risk analysis;
8. Maintaining explosion-proof electrical installations near the tanks;
9. Signing and identifying components, including piping;
10. Only authorized persons to perform inspection, maintenance or equipment operation activities should be present in the machine room.
All accidents involving ammonia involving workers must be investigated by the competent bodies, such as the Ministry of Labor, CEREST and the Public Ministry of Labor, with the collective damage duly recognized, the readjustment of facilities, and with companies held responsible in an exemplary manner, as a form of effective prevention.
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