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Year In Review: Crane Army Ammunition Activity Cited For 36 Safety Violations After Explosion

Last updated on Wednesday, January 1, 2014

(CRANE) - A pyrotechnic facility explosion At Crane Army Ammunition Activity on March 28, 2013 sent five employees to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for outpatient treatment and temporarily closed the unit.

The injured were: Steve Reed of Springville; Connie Alsman, Dana Roach and Jason O'Conner, all of Bloomfield, and Janeth Shahat of Washington.

Crane Officials are working with OHSA to remedy several serious safety violations related to the March explosion.
The explosion and fire occurred in two dust collectors in Crane Army's pyrotechnic building where workers were in the process of cleaning the protection area. The explosion forced open the access door, causing the fire and pressure wave to strike the production building.

Since then, OSHA investigators issued 36 notices for unsafe working conditions - including 34 "serious" violations with a "substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard" known to the base. Multiple violations of OSHA's Process Safety Management standards for facilities that use highly hazardous materials and chemicals were found at the facility, according to AP.

Vanessa Martin, director of OSHA's Indianapolis Area Office, called the violations an "unacceptable lapse in workplace safety."

CAAA spokesman Thomas Peske says the military facility is correcting the violations.

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