Staff traumatised after 500 pigs found dead in NSW piggery

Staff at a NSW piggery are in shock after the sudden death of 500 pigs from heat stress.

Employees at the Pig Improvement Company in Grong Grong arrived at work on February 23 to be confronted by a mass of dead pigs, an anonymous whistblower told The Daily Advertiser this week.

The tragedy occurred when an air-cooling system failed.

It is understood a Brisbane-based security company was alerted to the failure but was unable to reach on-call employees to notify them.

The company's chief executive Paul O'Leary said staff have been left traumatised by the incident.

“The welfare of our animals is our highest priority at all times,” Mr O’Leary said.

“This is why we have 24-hour monitored alarm systems.

“Despite these precautions, in this instance the alert was unable to avert a disaster – a situation every business dreads.

“The consequence was distressed staff arriving onsite the following morning to discover the stock losses.

The whistleblower claimed staff were ordered to remain silent about the deaths or they would lose their jobs.

But Mr O'Leary has strongly denied the claims.