Tennessee fines chemical plant $25,000 in hydrogen explosion

CHARLESTON, Tenn. – Tennessee regulators have fined a chemical plant $25,000 for an explosion that shut down an interstate and put several schools on lockdown.

WRCB-TV reported Friday that the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Wacker Chemie for seven violations stemming from the explosion at its Bradley County plant in September. The report says a broken cylinder fractured, releasing hydrogen that caught fire.

The cited violations range from improper training to failing to follow good engineering practices. A week before the explosion, five employees had been hospitalized for chemical exposure, resulting in a separate $20,000 fine.

A company statement says they’re still working to reopen the plant, but are confident that it’ll reopen safely.

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Information from: WRCB-TV, http://www.wrcbtv.com/