Ten Tyson Workers Hospitalized After Ammonia Leak

Ten Tyson Foods Inc. employees were taken to a local hospital Monday morning after ammonia leaked from a freezer line at the Berry Street plant in Springdale.

Seven people remained at the hospital Monday afternoon, said Pat Driscoll, a spokesman for Northwest Medical Center-Springdale.

The leak occurred about 9:30 a.m. on the west side of the plant, and all employees were evacuated from the plant, according to a statement from Tyson.

“By 10:20 a.m., the Springdale Fire Department had cleared the plant for re-entry,” the company said. “However, our environmental health and safety team continued to survey the plant before allowing work to resume.”

The plant was back to full operation by noon, according to the statement.

Driscoll said the seven patients would stay overnight for observation, in keeping with health department guidelines.

The workers complained of respiratory problems and burning eyes, Driscoll said. They were being kept on oxygen and those in the most distress were also being treated with steroids, she said.

In June, a chlorine gas leak occurred at the same plant, sending about 170 workers to area hospitals.

Also Monday, a leak at the Cargill Inc. turkey processing facility on Randall Wobbe Lane in Springdale prompted an evacuation of about 600 people.

Mike Martin, Cargill’s director of communications, wrote in an email that “some routine work was being done in an area we call the ‘engine room,’ where the ammonia is located. Ammonia is used as a refrigerant in our meat-processing facilities.

“There was an error that occurred during the work that resulted in the release of ammonia.”

No injuries resulted, Martin wrote, and Cargill plans to be back in operation with the second shift later this afternoon. Officials are still trying to determine how much ammonia was released.