TUESDAY EXPLOSION BRINGS TEMPORARY LAYOFF

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 18, 1993                   TAG: 9302180210
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FAIRLAWN                                LENGTH: Medium
TUESDAY EXPLOSION BRINGS TEMPORARY LAYOFF
About 300 Radford Army Ammunition Plant employees will be laid off temporarily as a result of a Tuesday explosion that destroyed a nitroglycerin storehouse.
Injuries were avoided because the explosion happened in a building that was fully automated for safety reasons last February.
A nitroglycerin blast in 1985 killed two workers.
The cause of Tuesday's blast, felt as far away as Blacksburg, was still unknown Wednesday. Equipment in Virginia Tech's seismological lab picked up the vibrations.
"It's not spectacular, but you can definitely see them," said Matt Sibol, a research associate in seismological sciences. "During most of these explosions, the energy goes up into the air, not into the ground."
Nicole Kinser, public affairs officer for the Army, said 295 to 300 workers are expected to be furloughed by the end of the week.
The temporary layoffs will be spread across the plant and last at least a week, Kinser said.
Roger Frye, unemployment benefits supervisor of the Virginia Employment Commission's Radford office, said all furloughed workers would be eligible for unemployment benefits.
The layoffs are necessary because nitroglycerin is one of the primary components of the propellant made at the arsenal. All nitroglycerin operations have been suspended, but production will continue through the week using stockpiled nitroglycerin, Kinser said.
An investigative team from the arsenal's Rock Island, Ill., headquarters was scheduled to arrive in Radford Wednesday afternoon.
Kinser said the investigation team will determine the cause of the explosion and decide if the 900-square-foot building should be rebuilt. Hercules, the government-contractor for the arsenal, will conduct a separate investigation.
Staff Writer Madelyn Rosenberg contributed information to this story.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB