A nitrogen leak that forced evacuations and sent six people to the hospital Tuesday originated at a company called FIBA Technologies, police say.
The company is based in Massachusetts; when we reached out to them via telephone, we were sent to a voice mail. We also sent an email. We'll update this story should we hear back from them.
In February, the company announced a new nitrogen storage tank on their website:
"FIBA Technologies has doubled the nitrogen storage capability at its Rayne, Louisiana service center with a new 6,000 gallon tank. FIBA mixes nitrogen with helium to test for leaks. A larger capacity storage tank means customers will benefit from a faster turnaround of their trailers being refurbished and re-certified."
Police tell us the leak happened because a valve on nitrogen tank was open for more than an hour. The leak forced the evacuation of the Industrial Park, Waste Connections and the Love's Travel Stop in Duson. Three FIBA employees and three firefighters were taken to the hospital to be treated for exposure to the chemical.
We searched the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) database for complaints related to the Rayne facility, and found only a planned inspection that was done in 2022.
According to the FIBA website, the company started in 1958 as a small industrial and medical gas distributor and has evolved into a gas containment equipment supplier.
