Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

Inside an explosives plant, a 155-mm shell with an 8.7-kg hexolite charge detonated while being cut as part of its eventual charge removal.

This cutting operation on the 155-mm shells got underway the previous day using a machine equipped with a brand new saw blade; 32 shells were sawed throughout the previous day and another 27 on the day of the incident. Cutting on the 28th shell caused the explosion, which as anticipated in the workplace safety report did not cause any injuries; although the two technicians on the scene were in a state of shock. All of the walls vulnerable to a blast within the working enclosure were destroyed, as were all the tools and machinery. The roofs on adjacent premises were also damaged.

The ordnance was triggered by means of friction due to the cutting operation, despite repeated lubrication of the cutting edge. Since this practice, which had already proven its efficiency elsewhere, was normally not sufficient to initiate the hexolite, the hypothesis was therefore forwarded of a non-homogeneous explosive. Higher concentrations of cyclonite at the spots where friction was present could have triggered the explosive.

No system allowing the verification of the homogeneity of the explosive charge existed, consequently, the company ceased the process of directly sawing the hexolite.