US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
Explosion, n.e.c. · Traumatic injuries and disorders, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Route 15 North, PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY 07806
on — Traumatic injuries and disorders, unspecified, affecting the nonclassifiable.
Final narrative
Two employees received serious but non-life-threatening injuries when an M42 type submunition being disassembled exploded. Both were hospitalized.
An employee was sitting in the cab of the truck while waste oxidizer was being offloaded. The waste reacted with the receiving tank and an explosion occurred in the tank. Fire traveled through the hose to the tanker truck, causing it to explode. The employee jumped from the burning truck and was hospitalized with burns to his face, chest, and arms.
An employee was installing piping and valves for fire protection systems in the vicinity of an electrical meter outside of a new warehouse. The meter exploded, causing burns to the employee's face and arms.
An employee was pouring molten aluminum into a drain pot. The aluminum touched moisture at the bottom of the drain pot and an explosion occurred. The employee sustained burns to their face, hands, and legs.
An employee was operating an oxygen-deficient oven that required manual ignition to make charcoal from wood. As the oven was opened, oxygen was introduced to the environment, resulting in an explosion. The employee sustained head trauma as well as fractures to the arms and legs.
An employee was setting up the electrical parts for a fireworks display. They were inserting an e-match when it generated friction with something else. A 3-inch firework shell ignited, injuring the employee's hand and head.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 541712)
A temporary employee climbed onto a 28-inch high table to clean the top of the head assembly of the profile saw used to cut polyurethane foam. While cleaning, he tripped over the pneumatic hose and struck the blade. He then fell over to the other side of the head assembly onto the table. The employee sustained an amputated right foot and a laceration on his left leg. The machine was not locked out/tagged out and guarding was not used at the time.
An employee was sitting in an office chair when his foot caught on one of the rollers. He fell from the chair to the floor and suffered a broken hip. He was hospitalized.
An employee was disconnecting a resistor in an electrical test setup and contacted an energized power terminal. The employee suffered an electric shock and was hospitalized.
An employee was walking down the hallway when they tripped over a raised concrete slab on the floor and fell. They sustained a right elbow fracture that required hospitalization.
An employee was installing fence posts when they stepped into a recently dug hole that was not visible due to rainfall. The employee's leg was fractured.
An employee assisted in cleaning material from a conveyor pit. After the pit was cleaned, the employee proceeded to replace metal safety plates to ensure other employees did not fall into the pit. While replacing one of the last plates, the employee mis-stepped and fell approximately 5 feet into the pit. The employee was hospitalized with back/side bruising, elbow bruising, bone bruises, and/or fractured ribs.
An employee was walking on the sidewalk. When they stepped off the curb, they fell to the ground, resulting in fractures to their tibia, fibula, and a metatarsal.