National COSH Calls for Accountability and Stronger Protections After Deadly Explosion

Sixteen lives were lost at a Tennessee plant on October 10.

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) has expressed deep sorrow and outrage following the catastrophic explosion on October 10 at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant in Bucksnort, Tennessee. The blast killed 16 workers and completely destroyed the facility.

Authorities report that all 16 workers inside the building at the time of the explosion perished, leaving behind grieving families and coworkers – and depriving investigators of critical firsthand accounts of conditions leading up to the disaster. While the cause remains under investigation, the nature of the facility’s work and the scale of the destruction underscore the urgent need for robust safety enforcement.

The Accurate Energetic Systems facility, covering 1,300 acres in rural Tennessee, manufactures and stores explosives for military and industrial use. It employed over 100 workers, many from surrounding small communities. While the company offers wages above the regional average, the explosion highlights the limited options available to workers in economically vulnerable areas – and the dangers of placing profits above people.

National COSH is urging federal and state officials to:

• Launch a fully independent investigation into the explosion;
• Increase funding and staffing for OSHA and other safety agencies to prevent future workplace tragedies;
• Strengthen whistleblower protections and ensure workers can report hazards without fear of retaliation; and
• Guarantee public transparency and accountability for the causes of – and responsibility for – this deadly incident.

For more information, visit https://www.nationalcosh.org.