In April 2019, the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) conducted an inspection after multiple employees suffered seizures while working in the facility’s “Hot House.”
The employees were potentially exposed to cyclonite, a toxic explosive compound. The inspection resulted in five “serious” safety violations, which were later reduced or eliminated in a settlement between Accurate Energetic Systems and the Department of Labor.
This latest tragedy echoes a 2014 explosion at the same facility that killed one person and injured three others, as reported by The Tennessean.
Ongoing Investigation of Deadly Explosion
Officials have yet to determine the cause of the blast, but Sheriff Davis noted that the scene remains unstable, with the potential for smaller explosions still present. “The area is secure,” he said, “but we are maintaining caution due to possible secondary detonations.”
Residents across Hickman County reported feeling the ground shake and seeing plumes of smoke rise from the facility. Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told The Tennessean, “It’s an unfortunate incident. It was felt around our county.”
