The Army Materiel Command recognized the Joint Munitions Command for its exemplary effort to keep individuals safe.
JMC received an Exceptional Organization Safety Award, an Industrial Operations Safety Award, and an Excellence in Explosives Safety Award from AMC for Fiscal Year 23.
The Army Safety Awards Program is designed to promote and motivate success in accident prevention through risk management by recognizing individual and unit accomplishments in safety.
Ralph “Skip” Stuck, the chief of JMC’s Safety Division, is ecstatic JMC was honored, and he attributes the command’s safety success to those who work under him at its headquarters at the Rock Island Arsenal, and the individuals at JMC’s subordinate sites.
“We have multiple high-risk things that happen every day that we do safely,” Stuck said. “Every day, our employees are doing the best they can do to ensure safety. They do things correctly and smartly. They follow the safety standards that are in place, and that is why we receive awards.
“Compared to previous years, our accident ratio was down, and our production level was up. Our workforce knows how important our safety program is,” Stuck added. “Everything that we do has to do with some sort of energetic or the development of a munition that goes into a weapon system, and we continue to do those things without many lost time accidents.”
While performing the dangerous mission of producing, storing, shipping, and demilitarizing ammunition and explosives, safety is a key priority across JMC’s enterprise.
JMC develops, and when needed, adjusts its standard operating procedures to provide its workforce with the level of detail necessary for them to execute tasks and operations in an efficient, effective, and safe manner.
JMC takes a multi-discipline approach to pre-operational planning and surveys. Engineers, workers, safety professionals, management representatives, industrial hygienists, and many others meet to discuss the best path forward prior to bringing a new process online. This labor-intensive process is required to provide workers a safe, and healthy environment.
On a monthly basis, JMC shares lessons learned from accidents, near misses, and other safety issues, which is an instrumental tool for two-way communication between its subordinates and those who work at its headquarters.
“Explosives safety successes and accomplishments are a direct result of teamwork,” said Col. Ronnie Anderson Jr., JMC’s commander. “JMC ensures a safe and healthy working environment for employees across our Organic Industrial Base. We are focused on the safety and occupational health of our employees.
“We are committed to AMC’s and the Army’s safety campaigns, goals, and objectives,” Anderson added. “The development, implementation, and management of our quality safety programs ensures JMC’s continued support to the Joint Forces.”
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