HR1122: HR1122 The Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion of 1971; memorializing the victims; condolences

On February 3, 1971, an explosion at Building M-132 of the Thiokol Chemical Corporation plant in Woodbine, Georgia killed 29 workers, most of them Black women, and injured at least 50 more. This resolution formally memorializes those who died and recounts the disaster's broader effects, including the creation of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and legal changes that later shaped compensation for September 11 victims. The resolution does not change any law. It has the House of Representatives join in honoring the victims, names all 29 workers who died, and directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press.

• Formally memorializes the 29 workers who died in the 1971 Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion in Woodbine, Georgia.
• Lists by name all 29 individuals who were killed so they are officially remembered by the House.
• Expresses the House's sympathy to the victims' families and the Woodbine community.
• Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press.

The resolution directly honors the 29 named victims of the 1971 explosion and their families, and it recognizes the Woodbine, Georgia community. It also directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to the Thiokol Memorial Museum and the press.

While the resolution carries no legal force, it creates an official state record honoring the victims of a major industrial disaster and their families. Copies distributed to the Thiokol Memorial Museum and press help preserve public memory of the event and its historical impact.

• The preamble recounts the explosion at Building M-132 on February 3, 1971, which killed 29 workers and injured at least 50 others.
• The preamble notes the disaster led to the creation of OSHA and influenced tort reform later used to compensate September 11 victims.
• The first resolving clause has the House join in memorializing the victims and expressing sympathy to families and the Woodbine community.
• The second resolving clause names all 29 victims individually as being remembered for their service and sacrifice.
• The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press.

1. 2026-01-28House Read and Adopted (House)
2. 2026-01-28House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-28House Hopper (House)

• Derrick Jackson (D, HD-068)Primary sponsor
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)

• Thiokol explosion
• Woodbine Georgia history
• industrial disaster memorial
• workplace safety history