OSHA Inspection: BAE SYSTEMS ORDNANCE SYSTEMS INC.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,050 · Current $10,050

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(e)(3)(i): The PHA did not address the hazards of the process.  a) Green Lines, Multi Based Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 28, 2025, the employer failed to address the hazard of the loss of inerting in the PHA. Failure to address the loss of inerting in the preblocking process can result in heat generation and autoignition of the propellant exposing the employee to explosion hazards.  b) Green Lines, Multi Based Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 28, 2025, the employer failed to address the hazards of adding the shuck back into the preblocker after a cycle has been stopped. Opening the blocker and adding the shuck back into the blocker without the use of inerting gas could create air pockets resulting in heat generation and the autoignition of the propellant exposing the employee to explosion hazards.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,050 · Current $10,050

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(f)(1): The employer did not develop and implement written operating procedures that provided clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each covered process consistent the safety information and which address the elements listed in 29 CFR 1910.119(f)(1)(i) through (f)(1)(v):    a)	Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 25, 2025, the employer failed to develop and implement clear procedures for safely conducting activities for switching from automatic mode to manual mode during a blocking cycle.  Failure to develop clear procedures for switching from automatic to manual mode can lead to human errors, which may cause improper use of the blockers exposing the employees to explosion hazards.  b)	Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 25, 2025, the employer failed to develop and implement clear procedures for safely adding shuck into the preblocker for re-blocking. Opening the blocker and adding the shuck back into the blocker without the use of inerting gas could create air pockets resulting in heat generation and autoignition of the propellant exposing the employee to explosion hazards.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(f)(1)(i)(G): The employer did not develop and implement written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for safety conducting activities involved in each covered process consistent with the process safety information and did not address the steps for each operating phase including startup following a turnaround or after an emergency shutdown:   a) Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 28, 2025, the employer did not develop and implement operating procedures that provide clear instructions for resetting of the system after a normal stop,  startup following a turnaround, or after an emergency shutdown of the preblocker. This condition exposed employees to an explosion hazard.  Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(f)(1)(ii)(B): The employer did not develop and implement written operating procedures that provided clear instructions for the steps required to correct or avoid deviation from the operating limits in the covered process:    a)	Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 28, 2025, the employer failed to develop and implement clear procedures for the steps required when a Teflon sealing ring is not placed on the preblocker and a cycle has been initiated.  The Teflon sealing ring is put in place to allow room for air to escape, failure to utilize the ring can result in heat generation and auto-ignition of the propellant exposing the employee to fire/explosion hazards.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $16,550 · Current $16,550

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(g)(1)(i):The employer did not train each employee in the operating procedures as specified in paragraph (f) of 29 CFR 1910.119.  a)	Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: On or about February 28, 2025, and at times prior thereto, the employer did not ensure employees were trained on the procedure for Preblocking Propellant by Remote Operations, for sections including but not limited to,  operations, normal operations, normal shutdown, emergency shutdown, startup following a turnaround or after emergency shut down and consequence of deviations. Employee(s) were exposed to the hazards associated with the manufacturing of explosives such as burns and possible death from fire and explosions.  Abatement certification and documentation required within 10 days after abatement date. The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, the date and method of abatement, and state that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement. Abatement documentation shall include documents demonstrating that abatement is complete, such as evidence of the purchase or repair of equipment, photographic or video evidence of abatement or other written records.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $10,050 · Current $10,050

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(l)(1): The employer did not implement procedures to manage changes to process chemicals, technology, equipment, and procedures, and changes to facilities that affect a covered process:  a)	Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: The employer failed to implement procedures to manage the change from daily cleaning of the basement to weekly cleaning  of the basement.  Failure to clean the basement of powder and shuck can lead to a fire and/or explosion.  Abatement certification is required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(e)(3)(iii): The process hazard analysis did not address engineering and administrative controls applicable to the hazards and their interrelationships such as appropriate application of detection methodologies to provide early warning of releases.   a)	Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: The employer failed to address administrative controls in item 12 (Material falls to basement floor) of their HAZOP Study Worksheet-Multi-Base.  The administrative control was not applicable to the hazard because the control was listed as daily cleaning even though the specific administrative control (SOP 4-07-041B) had a weekly cleaning schedule.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states that employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.

Issued

Aug 18, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.119(f)(1)(i):The employer did not develop and implement written operating procedures that provided clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each covered process consistent with the process safety information that addressed steps for each operating phase.  a) Green Lines Multi Base Process, Remote Blocker Building: the employer failed to develop operating procedures that provided clear instructions that addressed steps for each operating phase for nonconforming material. The employer's document 4-07-757, Documentation of Nonconforming Material in the Green Lines Area, did not provide clear instructions that addressed steps for each operating phase of the multi based process, the document only included references to the single based process.  Abatement certification required within 10 days after abatement date.  The certification shall include a statement that abatement is complete, date and method of abatement, and states employees and their representatives were informed of this abatement.