Kepak described as ‘minor’ a leak of ammonia vapor that occurred at their Watergrasshill plant on Sunday night which necessitated the evacuation of some 40 staff at the meat processing plant.

The company said the leak at 10.30pm on Sunday night, occurred in a cold storage area. Safety procedures were put in place while it was dealt with and there were no injuries to staff, ‘nor were there any safety concerns’, they said and the fire brigade was called ‘as a precautionary measure’. They checked the air quality and confirmed there was no health and safety issue.

It’s understood however that around half a dozen employees were seen by the company’s local GP on Monday as a further precaution and given three days leave after detecting a smell of ammonia when they arrived at the plant to begin their shift.

The incident was reported to the Health and Safety Authority and the EPA and an investigation was carried out into the cause while the company also carried out its own internal investigation.

A company spokesman said the on-site Department of Agriculture and the Marine Veterinary Inspectorate were also duly informed. Meat products in the area where the leak occurred were all packaged and no unpackaged meat was exposed to the leak, the spokesperson assured.

The Watergrasshill plant is Kepak’s largest in the country, processing beef, lamb and pork for the Irish and UK markets.