Second injured Picatinny worker released from hospital
One of two civilian explosive technicians injured last week at Picatinny Arsenal was released from the hospital, a spokesman for the facility announced Wednesday.
The other employee was released on the same day as the incident from Morristown Medical Center, according to spokesperson Timothy Rider. Previous reports said both civilians, who were employed by the U.S. Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, had sustained “severe, but non-life-threatening injuries,” according to arsenal commanding officer Brigadier Gen. Patrick W. Burden.
Both injured employees asked that their names not be released, and the Army is honoring their request for privacy, Rider said.
A safety investigation team was established the day of what arsenal representatives have described as “the incident,” according to Rider, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause and to develop recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The injured employees are explosives technicians who were said to be conducting a routine study and inspection on a small explosive sub-munition to render it inert. The sub-munition was one of several bomblets that was loaded within an artillery-type carrier projectile.
The incident was confined to a separate, secured test area on the installation, Rider said. The facility where the employees worked sustained only minor damage.
No other details regarding the nature of the incident, or the specific injuries sustained by the victims, were released.
“We have seen the tremendous outpouring of support and prayer from readers of news coverage,” John Hedderich, director of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, wrote in a statement. “We have passed on those comments to our injured employees and their families to provide a measure of comfort to them. I thank the members of the community for their support and well wishes to our personnel.”
Located on about 6,400 acres in portions of Rockaway and Jefferson townships, Picatinny has been designated as the Joint Center of Excellence for Armaments and Ammunition. It provides nearly 90 percent of the Army’s lethality capabilities and other products products and services to all branches of the U.S. military. The installation specializes in the research, development, acquisition and life-cycle management of advanced conventional weapon systems and advanced ammunition.
The Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, or ARDEC, is part of the Research, Development and Engineering Command, or RDECOM, headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
The arsenal employs about 5,000 people, the majority of which whom are civilian employees or contractors, making it one of the top employers in Morris County.
Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com