Embedded Files
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■ OVERVIEW
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On June 12, 2006,
an explosion occurred at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
near Middletown, Iowa.
Two employees of American Ordnance LLC
were killed.
The explosion occurred during a test
involving a shaped charge containing high explosives.
The accident was later investigated
by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
a division of the United States Department of Labor.
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■ THE ACCIDENT
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According to OSHA’s official accident report,
the two employees were handling
a shaped charge containing high explosives.
The explosive device had been placed on a cart
and was being used in a wet density test.
The test involved submerging the shaped charge
in a vat of water.
The vat was located inside
a concrete-walled room known as GG Bay.
There were no witnesses to the accident.
During the test,
the shaped charge exploded,
killing both employees.
GG Bay was located at the eastern end
of one of several production buildings
used for research, development,
and the manufacture of artillery ammunition,
bombs, and missile warheads.
The secured area surrounding the facility
covered approximately 19,300 acres.
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■ THE OSHA INVESTIGATION
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OSHA opened its inspection
on June 13, 2006,
the day after the explosion.
The inspection was classified
as an accident investigation
and focused on safety conditions
at the American Ordnance facility.
The investigation resulted initially
in nine serious violations
and proposed penalties totaling $40,500.
The case was later resolved
with eight serious violations
and penalties totaling $34,000.
The OSHA case was formally closed
on February 21, 2008.
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■ THE TWO WORKERS
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The two employees killed in the explosion were:
Justin Friedrichsen
and
Steven Upton.
Their names were later included
in a memorial at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
honoring workers who had died
while employed at the facility.
In a 2007 article,
the United States Army described
the June 12, 2006 explosion
as the plant’s most recent fatal accident
at that time.
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■ THE IOWA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT
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The Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
is a United States Army installation
located near Middletown, Iowa.
The facility has been used
for the research, development,
manufacture, and handling
of military explosives and ammunition.
Its work has included
artillery ammunition,
bombs,
missile warheads,
and other explosive materials.
Although the site is owned
by the United States government,
industrial operations at the plant
have also been conducted
by private contractors.
At the time of the 2006 explosion,
the facility involved in the OSHA investigation
was operated by American Ordnance LLC.
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■ WHAT THE PUBLIC RECORD ESTABLISHES
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The available federal records establish that:
two employees were killed
on June 12, 2006;
the accident occurred
during a wet density test
involving a shaped charge
containing high explosives;
the test took place
inside GG Bay;
there were no witnesses
to the explosion;
OSHA opened an inspection
the following day;
and the inspection ultimately resulted
in eight serious violations
and penalties totaling $34,000.
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■ LIMITS OF THE PUBLIC RECORD
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The available OSHA and Army records
describe the immediate circumstances
of the explosion
and the regulatory action that followed.
They do not provide
a complete reconstruction
of every decision,
procedure,
or event that preceded the accident.
They also do not establish
that explosive materials marked for disposal
were deliberately relabeled,
returned to production,
or removed from ordinary government records.
Claims involving altered lot numbers,
corporate concealment,
political protection,
or a wider government operation
are therefore not confirmed
by the public records cited in this article.
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■ SOURCES
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1.
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
“Two Employees Are Killed in Explosion”
Accident Summary No. 202106050
Event Date: June 12, 2006
This record provides
the official description of the accident,
including the shaped charge,
the wet density test,
GG Bay,
the absence of witnesses,
and the deaths of two employees.
LINK:
https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=202106050
2.
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Inspection No. 301555504
American Ordnance LLC
Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
Inspection Opened: June 13, 2006
Case Closed: February 21, 2008
This record provides
the inspection dates,
the number of serious violations,
and the initial and final penalties.
LINK:
https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=301555504
3.
United States Army
“They Gave All for Freedom”
Published November 21, 2007
This article identifies
Justin Friedrichsen and Steven Upton
as the two workers killed
in the June 12, 2006 explosion
and describes the memorial
at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant.
LINK:
https://www.army.mil/article/6236/they_gave_all_for_freedom
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