Date: November 3, 2018
Location: Decatur, Illinois (USA)
Address: 4666 East Faries Parkway, 62526
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Food Processing Company
Equipment: Grain Elevator
Company: Archer Daniels Midland Company
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Archer Daniels Midland Company was founded in 1902 as a linseed crushing business. Today it is one of the world’s largest agricultural processors, with approximately 31,000 employees and customers in more than 170 countries. Its holdings include approximately 500 crop procurement locations, 270 food and feed ingredient manufacturing facilities, and 44 innovation centers.
Incident Description:
On November 3, 2018, local news resource the Herald-Review reported a dust explosion and fire at a food processing company in Decatur, Illinois.
A company spokesperson said that the explosion occurred at around 1:00 a.m. in the grain elevator used to process corn and soybeans. It was followed by a fire in the conveyor system, which was visible when the first fire company reached the scene. They worked with company employees to bring the fire under control.
No injuries were reported. The fire department is actively investigating the incident.
Previous Incidents:
There have been other fire incidents at the Archer Daniels Midland Company in Decatur, Illinois. On July 23, 2018, Powder & Bulk Solids reported a fire that prompted the evacuation of all workers present at the site. Company representatives told the press that the fire originated in a vessel in the facility. The fire was quickly contained, and no one was injured.
On January 30, 2018, Now Decatur reported a fire in the company’s Bioproducts facility. It was in an area where maintenance work was being carried out. Employees were evacuated from the facility as a precaution while the fire department extinguished the flames. No one was injured.
OSHA Inspections:
An establishment search turned up five OSHA inspections for the Archer Daniels Midland Company in Decatur, Illinois, but none of them were reported to involve combustible dust.
Sources:
Herald-Review
Powder & Bulk Solids
Now Decatur
