Industrial Accident Involving Stored Titanium Leads to Major Explosion That Injured Worker at the Sig Sauer Plant in Exeter
EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE (August 5, 2026) – A worker was seriously injured following an explosion at the Sig Sauer factory along Industrial Drive in Exeter.
Exeter officials are saying that the accident occurred around 4:00 PM on Monday afternoon. There was apparently some type of explosion that involved stored titanium. One worker suffered serious burn injuries before being airlifted to a Boston-area hospital.
Fire crews were eventually able to extinguish the fire that started after the explosion at the Sig Sauer plant. It remains unclear what may have caused the explosion at the gun manufacturing plant.
Just last year in 2025, there was another explosion and fire that started at a Sig Sauer ammunition facility based in Arkansas. A full investigation by OSHA remains ongoing at this time.
DiBella Law remains committed to improving public safety and increasing transparency through our Free Police Report program. If you’ve been involved in any type of accident that required a police response, we can help you get a copy of the police report created at no cost or obligation to you.
Liability for New Hampshire Industrial Accidents
Employers across the United States have a legal obligation under the General Duty Clause to provide their workers with a job site that is free from recognizable hazards likely to cause serious harm or death. This is particularly important for manufacturing plants, as workers are likely to face a number of potential hazards and safety concerns. When a worker is injured in New Hampshire, they will typically have exclusive recourse through workers’ compensation as required by RSA 281-A:8. Depending on the specific evidence for any accident, there could be third-party liability if a worker is injured due to the actions of a maintenance contractor, material supplier, or general contractor in charge of safety. What follows are a few things that should be taken into consideration.
- Material Identification: It matters whether or not potentially combustible materials are properly identified in any hazard assessment at the worksite.
- Ventilation: It matters whether or not there was adequate ventilation and dust collection of potentially flammable materials.
- Training: It matters whether or not workers received adequate training regarding all of the potential hazards that they could encounter.
- Product Defect: It matters whether or not any type of product defect or negligent repair may have contributed to an ignition source that led to an explosion.
Explosions at industrial plants that deal with flammable materials are often highly foreseeable. These incidents may include multiple sources of potential third-party negligence. Consider, for example, Thone v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 130 N.H. 702 (N.H. 1988). Three workers were killed in a massive explosion at a fireworks plant. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that the workers’ compensation carrier failed to identify or warn about dangerous conditions at the facility. Though, the New Hampshire Supreme Court sided with the insurer in that case.
Safety Measures to Prevent New Hampshire Combustible-Metal Explosions
Industrial explosions remain a major source of preventable injury and death for workers across the United States. OSHA has identified titanium as one of the metals that can create a major explosion hazard if it is not handled properly. According to one report by OSHA, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has identified 281 incidents of combustible dust explosions that occurred from 1998 through 2025. These accidents resulted in 119 workers dying and another 718 being seriously injured. Manufacturers should take a number of measures to prevent these types of incidents.
- Manufacturers should test all powders and dust to determine whether or not they contain materials that are combustible
- Manufacturers should capture as much metallic dust as possible through properly designed and maintained collection systems.
- Manufacturers should separate any incompatible materials to reduce the chance that they act as an ignition source.
- Manufacturers should follow all safety regulations related to the storage and handling of combustible materials.
Preventing explosions at manufacturing sites requires a coordinated effort of multiple parties. Among other things, it requires effective engineering controls, equipment maintenance, and employee training. Unfortunately, many work sites are more concerned with maximizing efficiency to such a high degree that safety is jeopardized. Any person injured in an industrial accident at a New Hampshire manufacturing plant may be able to seek some measure of accountability through a civil claim. A personal injury attorney can review the facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating New Hampshire Industrial Accidents
We at DiBella Law extend our best wishes to the worker injured in this accident at the Sig Sauer plant. It is our sincere hope that they will be able to make a full recovery. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened so that similar incidents can be prevented. Many important questions have yet to be answered. Was this facility following all OSHA regulations related to combustible materials?
Have you or a loved one been injured on the job in New Hampshire? Are you facing mounting medical bills and other hardships? Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys is here to support you. We are committed to helping victims get the medical and financial assistance that they need to move forward with their lives. Whether you just have legal questions or would like to know how an attorney might be able to help with your particular situation, we are here for you. You can contact us anytime at (855) 649-2674.