Historical eventJanuary 282021

2021 Georgia poultry plant accident

A nitrogen leak at a poultry food processing facility in Gainesville, Georgia kills six and injures at least ten.

5th anniversary in 2026

In context

When
Thursday, January 28 20215 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2020s
Anniversary
5th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2021.

Place: Gainesville, United States.

Type: industrial disaster and leak.

What came before

Background Gainesville has many poultry processing plants employing thousands of people, [ 1 ] earning the city the nickname "poultry capital of the world". [ 2 ] The plant where the accident occurred was owned by Prime Pak Foods until January 2021, when it merged into Foundation Food Group. [ 1 ] The facility processes raw chicken for foodservice and commercial sale. [ 3 ] Refrigeration systems used in the factory relied on liquid nitrogen as a refrigerant . [ 1 ]

What happened

Investigation Page 8 of the December 2023 USCSB report summarizing the incident. Hall County Fire Department Division Chief Zach Brackett stated that firefighters, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Georgia state fire marshal were investigating the cause of the leak. [ 1 ] The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (USCSB) was also investigating. [ 2 ] OSHA's investigation determined that the leak occurred as a result of a freezer malfunction,

The 2021 Georgia poultry plant accident was an industrial disaster that occurred on January 28, 2021, in Gainesville, Georgia, United States. Six people were killed by asphyxiation and at least ten were injured when a liquid nitrogen leak occurred inside a poultry processing plant owned by Foundation Food Group.

January 28 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1985We Are the World
  2. 1986Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
  3. 1986Space Shuttle program
  4. 1988R v Morgentaler
  5. 2002TAME Flight 120
  6. 2006Katowice International Fair
  7. 20212021 Georgia poultry plant accident
  8. 2023Tyre Nichols protests
  9. 20262026 Rubaya mines collapses
  10. 2026Storm Kristin
  11. 2026Learjet 45

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Everything we record for 2021 →

Sources

Cite this page

“2021 Georgia poultry plant accident”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/2021-georgia-poultry-plant-accident-2021-january-28, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did 2021 Georgia poultry plant accident happen?

January 28 2021 — 5 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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