Deadly Tennessee Explosion Exposes Risks Buried in Rural Manufacturing Jobs

In a somber reminder of the dangers lurking in some of America’s less visible industries, a devastating blast at Accurate Energetic Systems’ explosives plant in rural Tennessee claimed 16 lives last week. This tragedy, unfolding in the tight-knit community of Humphreys County, forces a hard reckoning with how rural manufacturing jobs, often hailed as economic lifelines, can also hide grave risks when safety oversight falls short. How Safe Are the Jobs Powering Rural Economies? Accurate Energetic Systems, a company serving the military with explosives research and production, sits nearly 60 miles southwest of Nashville. Its 1,300-acre complex employs locals in...