An industrial accident at a rendering plant in North Carolina killed two maintenance workers Sep. 12.
The two were found face down and unresponsive in a pit at the Valley Proteins rendering facility in Fayetteville, N.C. Fire department personnel evacuated the building in response to a emergency call about 1:30 p.m.
The two employees were maintenance workers, one of whom had worked there 13 years and the other for less than a month. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
It wasn’t clear how the victims died. Valley Proteins issued a statement suggesting they had failed to follow safety procedures. A plant employee told local news station WRAL that they were likely overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas while working in the pit where they were found.
Valley Proteins renders oils, animal fats and cooking waste into usable products, primarily pet food ingredients. It was cited for violations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration nine times in 2012 and 2013, according to WRAL.
