On Tuesday, Nov. 19, an explosion rocked workers at Aerojet Rocketdyne in northern California. Two industrial workers were injured in the explosion. It took the company four hours to ensure that there was no further danger to the surrounding area or employees at the plant.
An internal investigation has commenced to determine what caused the explosion, and the company will cooperate with Cal/OSHA as it conducts an investigation into the incident as well. At present, all that is known is that there was what is being described as an accidental ignition in one of the facility’s buildings. One of the injured employees was treated at the scene and released. The other, however, was still in the hospital with unspecified injuries at last report.
Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Rancho Cordova facility conducts research, develops, manufactures and tests rocket motors. NASA and the military use the company’s rockets. In fact, a vehicle recently launched toward Mars used Aerojet Rocketdyne motors for every aspect of the mission. Up until this incident, the company’s safety record was commendable. However, even a company that excels in safety is not immune to accidents.
Industrial workers at Aerojet Rocketdyne understand that working there comes with some risk. After all, most everything manufactured there explodes, travels faster than the speed of sound or burns quickly. When a worker is injured, he or she has the right to seek insurance benefits under the California workers’ compensation program. A familiarity with the benefits available and the application process can help a worker obtain the maximum amount of benefits possible.
Source: Sacramento Business Journal, Aerojet Rocketdyne explosion caused by “accidental ignition”, Mark Anderson, Nov. 21, 2013