‘Large explosion’ at NJ Welding Company Kills Man

HARRISON TOWNSHIP  — An investigation is ongoing into the cause of a loud explosion that killed a worker at a welding company Wednesday morning.

The explosion around 10:40 AM caused a rip in the roof of Timberlane Welding Services in the Mullica Hill section, according to acting Gloucester County Prosecutor Christine Hoffman.

Bruce A. Cheeseman, 47, of the Cedarville section of Lawrence in Cumberland County, died as a result of the explosion.

Township police described it as a "commercial accident involving an explosion" in a statement on their Facebook page.  Businesses across the street told 6 ABC Action News that the explosion was so loud it caused their buildings to shake.

Neither Hoffman nor OSHA, which is investigating the crash, disclosed a cause for the explosion. An OSHA spokeswoman told New Jersey 101.5 that the federal agency can take up to six months to conclude its investigation.

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An unnamed official told NJ.com that Cheeseman was working on a truck inside the building at the time of the explosion.

Timberlane Welding Services on Thursday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for more information.

Anyone with additional information about the explosion is asked to call the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-384-5685, or Harrison Township Police at 856-478-6839.