Oklahoma Bomb Plant Stops Manufacturing Bunker-Busters Over Health Concern

[TacticalPeek]

Oklahoma Bomb Plant Stops Manufacturing Bunker-Busters Over Health Concerns

By Richard Green Associated Press Writer

Published: Sep 7, 2004


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The McAlester Army Ammunition Plant has stopped producing 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs after 23 workers who filled the devices with TNT became anemic, officials said Tuesday.

snip

In recent weeks, 23 out of the 34 workers assigned to produce the bombs became anemic. Those who became anemic are expected to recover fully because they are no longer being exposed to the TNT dust, plant spokesman Mark Hughes said.

Plant officials will study what can be done to protect workers who build the bombs. A $350,000 air scrubber is planned for the building where the employees worked, Hughes said.

The building is not air-conditioned, and temperatures inside can reach more than 100 degrees. Plant officials believe dust laden with explosive powder settled on workers while they were sweating.


more
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBG5MQUUYD.html


:shrug:

[mom cat]

1. Bush must have waived the safety regulations!

:nuke:

[KT2000]

2. This reflects a gaping hole

in chemical safety.
Hygienists will go in there and measure the ambient air levels and say everything is A-OK.
The problem is that chemicals reach very high levels when you measure what is in the dust in some of these manufacturing plants. Unfortunately dust samples are rarely measured for contaminants. We breathe the dust and that is where high exposure levels are escaping detection.
This happens in people's homes too.

[Gregorian]

3. The ultimate in ignorance and hipocracy

To think that they would have to stop manufacturing something that kills people because it might be dangerous to those making it.

[delete_bush]

4. How much you want to bet that

23 out of the 34 workers will cast their vote for chimpco.

In the end, this will be yet another story about red-staters voting against their own self interest, whether it be wages, health care, or workplace safety.