Ammunition Manufacturer Fined in Fatality Case
One citation alleges that AMTEC Less Lethal Systems Inc. willfully violated 29 CFR 1910.119, the OSHA Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard, by not developing and/or implementing management of change procedures when the company increased the maximum explosive limits of pyrotechnic flash powder in or near the blast booths from 200 grams to 500 grams.
OSHA announced it has cited AMTEC Less Lethal Systems Inc., a manufacturer of explosives doing business as PACEM Solutions International LLC , for exposing employees to explosive hazards. The agency investigated its Perry, Fla., facility after an explosion there killed two workers in September 2018. The company faces $188,290 in penalties for multiple serious violations and a willful violation that carries the maximum penalty allowed, $132,598.
The citation for that willful violation alleges that AMTEC violated 29 CFR 1910.119, the OSHA Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard, by not developing and/or implementing management of change procedures when the company increased the maximum explosive limits of pyrotechnic flash powder in or near the blast booths from 200 grams to 500 grams.
OSHA also cited the company for failing to maintain the engineer's specifications for the blowout panels installed on the blast booths; using blast booths that did not comply with good engineering practices; and failing to train employees on the operating procedures for work in the diversion section production room.
"When employers disregard safety standards, they place their employees at risk," said OSHA Jacksonville Area Director Michelle Gonzalez. "This tragedy could have been prevented if AMTEC had complied with OSHA standards."