OSHA proposes penalties, cites 'willful' and serious violations in Amtec explosion on Redstone Arsen

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OSHA proposes penalties, cites 'willful' and serious violations in Amtec explosion on Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville Times)

Mike Marshall, The Huntsville Times

HUNTSVILLE, AL. - A federal agency is proposing $134,400 in penalties against the employer of two civilian workers killed on the job in a fiery explosion on Redstone Arsenal in May.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a statement Friday it has cited Amtec for two "willful" and four serious violations in the accident that killed Jerry Grimes, 58, of Hartselle, and James R. Hawke, 53, of Hazel Green.

An attorney for Amtec disputed OSHA's account of the incident.

Grimes and Hawke suffered burns over 90 percent of their bodies May 5 in a blast that occurred while they were separating ammonium perchlorate from other rocket propellant chemicals.

They died later that day at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Burn Center. Their employer, Amtec, is a contractor at the U.S. Army's Space & Missile Defense Command at Redstone.
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more: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/11/osha_proposes_penalties_cites.html




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