MACON, GA. – On the evening of Aug. 1, an ammonia leak at Tyson Foods Inc.’s distribution center in Macon, Ga., triggered an evacuation of the facility and caused one worker to be taken to the hospital. According to Tyson, the center employs approximately 300 people.   

“Because team member safety is our top priority, the facility was evacuated,” said a Tyson spokesperson. “As a precaution, one team member was treated and released from a local hospital.”

The incident interrupted operations at the plant through Aug. 3.

“We’re grateful for the swift response and assistance of local emergency personnel,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve resumed normal operations at the facility.”

In 2017, Tyson expanded the facility to consolidate distribution, increase worker safety and reduce its carbon footprint. According to Woodstock, Ga.-based Primus Builders Inc., the design-build firm that led the expansion project, the 184,000-square-foot facility features a 108,000-square-foot, 120-foot tall automated retrieval system and a 64,000-square-foot conventional freezer.