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Arkansas Arsenal Worker Burned

Jan. 4, 2000

Worker suffered serious burns while transferring dangerous white phosphorous between two storage tanks.

A worker transferring dangerous white phosphorous between two storage tanks at the Pine Bluff Arsenal in White Hall, Ark., suffered serious burns on about a third of his body Sunday, officials said.

Rickey D. Myers was in serious condition Sunday evening at the burn unit at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, according to officials at the U.S. military arsenal, where Myers has worked for 16 years.

White phosphorous ignites when it comes in contact with oxygen and produces white smoke that the military uses to obscure operations.

An initial investigation showed possible mechanical failure in the transfer.

"We will do everything possible to find out exactly what caused the accident so it doesn't occur again,"' said arsenal Cmdr. Steven T. Chapman.

Other items stored at the arsenal include nerve gases GB and VX and two varieties of mustard gas.

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Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.