The Snapshots in Time Collection
Safety Exhibit Display, Plum Brook Ordnance Works, Sandusky, Ohio — World War II Era
This photograph documents a safety exhibit at the Plum Brook Ordnance Works, a World War II chemical and munitions plant near Sandusky, Ohio. A sign proudly notes two years of operation with 17,800,000 man-hours worked and no fatal accidents, reflecting the intense wartime emphasis on industrial safety needed to keep production lines running without interruption. Display tables show protective gloves, goggles, respirators, and cautionary safety posters, while a mannequin at right models a full protective suit and gas mask used by workers handling hazardous chemical munitions. The painted mural of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress overhead reminds viewers that this safety effort directly supported the aircraft and ordnance reaching American forces overseas. Project: 218631