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Global grain trader Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) is facing a lawsuit alleging that it failed to maintain critical safety systems, leading to a catastrophic explosion that left a worker in a coma.
The lawsuit, filed in Macon County Circuit Court, claims the company's negligence in workplace safety resulted in severe injuries to 44-year-old employee Antonio McElrath and two other workers at its Decatur, Illinois, facility.
It follows a series of safety incidents at ADM's Decatur operations, which house the company’s North American headquarters. According to the lawsuit, McElrath was instructed by a supervisor to shut down a grain leg - equipment used to transport grain - after it began emitting smoke. When McElrath opened the grain leg tube, an explosion occurred, leaving him severely burned.
He was placed in a medically induced coma for two to three weeks following the accident. His attorney, Timothy Shay, described the injuries as “significant” and noted that McElrath is still undergoing recovery.
A series of safety breaches in run-up to accident
The explosion is just one of several alleged safety breaches at the Decatur site in recent years. The lawsuit highlights a pattern of workplace safety violations, including dust explosions in 2018 and 2019, multiple fires in 2019, and another explosion at the East Plant in September 2023, which also resulted in worker injuries. More recently, an industrial fire broke out at ADM’s East Plant sorbitol production area in early October 2024.
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has conducted investigations into the April 2023 explosion, finding that ADM had failed to inspect and test essential safety systems that could have prevented the incident. OSHA’s findings echo the claims made in the lawsuit, which alleges that the company's fire and explosion suppression systems were either not functioning or improperly maintained.
An ADM spokesperson responded to the allegations, emphasizing the company’s commitment to improving worker safety. In a statement, ADM said it has taken steps to enhance safety measures across its Decatur operations, including hiring process safety engineers and revising safety protocols. “We are fully committed to learning and improving whenever an operational event occurs, so that it does not happen again.”
The lawsuit brings renewed scrutiny to ADM’s safety record, with the company facing increasing pressure to address concerns. The firm has been struggling with multiple challenges this year, including the fallout from a global grain surplus and ongoing investigations by US government agencies into accounting irregularities.
The importance of rigorous safety inspections
The company’s efforts to improve safety have included upgrades to equipment and the implementation of more rigorous safety inspections. However, the lawsuit alleges that these measures came too late for McElrath and other workers affected by the explosion and other incidents.
Employment lawsuits like this one underscore the importance of rigorous safety protocols in industries where hazardous conditions are a daily reality. As the legal battle unfolds, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for other companies in similar industries about the potential consequences of neglecting workplace safety and proper equipment maintenance.
