A court in Ghent fined two meat processing companies after a worker died of asphyxiation in a freezing tunnel due to breaches of workplace safety laws.
The incident occurred on the night of 20 January 2024 at Chicken Masters of Belgium’s facility in Deinze. The victim, employed by subcontractor AY & ES bv, died in the IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) room where meat products are rapidly frozen at -60°C.
The freezing tunnel, purchased second-hand in 2012, had been out of use for two years before being reinstalled in 2023. It was restarted on 15 January 2024 but experienced technical issues, including a "ventilation error" warning. Surveillance footage revealed white mist forming in the IQF room during various times.
An investigation found that the nitrogen exhaust pipe had frozen internally, leading to a blockage that prevented proper ventilation of nitrogen gas.
Additionally, the company had failed to conduct a risk assessment for chemical substances or the use of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The victim had also not received written safety instructions.
The court sentenced each company to a fine of €48,000, €36,000 of which was suspended. They were also ordered to compensate the civil parties €100,900 in damages and €3,924 in legal costs.
While the court acknowledged efforts made by the companies to improve workplace safety after the incident, it criticised them for neglecting their duty of care.
One of the companies, it was noted, had repeatedly received safety warnings from inspectors in past years, specifically in 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020.
