The fatal explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) plant in Centerville, Tennessee on Oct. 10 comes at a time when much national conversation surrounds regulatory oversight of dangerous plants. The explosion killed all 16 workers on shift, and destroyed part of the facility that sent shockwaves through Hickman County—literally and figuratively. For a city that had called AES one of its largest employers for years, it was personal, but for those industrial safety experts monitoring the scene, it was also a call to arms: How many more explosions will it take to implement change?

Federal and state investigators are sifting through the rubble with the ATF and FBI attempting to determine what caused the incident, and in time we will see what answers investigators give. So far, it matches a disturbing pattern. AES is a manufacturer and serves the military by making their explosives. In 2019, the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the plant for comprehensive violations—including exposing employees to combustible compounds without giving them protective equipment. This was not the first incident on-site; in 2014 when the company was under different management, an explosion occurred that led to one fatality and four injuries. As such, the question must be raised: Are regulators doing enough to protect one of the country’s most dangerous industries?

Explosive plants are inherently dangerous; however, safety experts note most incidents are preventable. Hazardous materials must have proper storage, appropriate safety measures must be taken by all, and routine inspections by independent sources can reduce risk. Unfortunately, with only a few hundred inspectors across the United States for thousands of industrial sites across the country dealing with explosives, there is all too often an emphasis on self-policing with an increase in inquiries and investigations post-disaster. This could be such an incident that serves as a turning point, where safety is no longer something simply checked off in a box.

Those who live near such plants take on the greatest risk without any say. In Centerville, reports claim that residents heard the explosion miles away and felt their houses shaking, to the extent that they might have to restructure residences. The explosion involves more than just the lives lost on the site of the explosion, also impacting family members who now face uncertainty, and a city that has taken a hard blow economically and psychologically. However, once people get past the grief stage, this is about investigation and reforms for many in Centerville—crossing their fingers that this won’t happen anywhere else.

Only time will tell what happens next. If history suggests anything, the findings will lead to suggested changes in the training, maintenance, and inspection approaches in the industry. But will those suggestions become permanent changes, or will they dissipate with the news cycle? The AES incident should be a wake-up call: Increased scrutiny and company culpability must exist to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Industrial progress is not worth human lives.