Worker injured in explosion at Fort Loudoun Dam project

(WBIR) - A construction worker is expected to be okay after an explosion at a work site near the Fort Loudoun Dam.

Blalock and Sons is the contractor on the project, which includes dismantling the J. Carmichael Greer Bridge over the dam and construction of three bridges.

No blasting was occurring at the construction site on Tuesday. According to Blalock's Safety Director, Scott Ward, workers were cleaning up scrap material from previous blasting activities when the accident happened.

The company believes that there was still powder residue inside one of the metal pipes they use to store the explosive powder. Workers were cutting up those pipes, called caissons, for disposal when the explosion happened.

Ward said the worker was taken to UT Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The accident is being investigated by Blalock's safety department and Ward says the company has notified the proper compliance officials about the incident.