CHICAGO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Archer-Daniels-Midland Co ( ADM )

intentionally failed to test and maintain safety systems

on its grain equipment for years, which contributed to an

explosion that immolated a worker and put him in a coma last

year, according to a lawsuit filed against the company.

The explosion was part of a string of safety incidents at

ADM facilities in Decatur, Illinois, site of the global grain

trader's North American headquarters.

ADM on Thursday declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The company's shares have been under pressure this year from

a global glut of grain supplies, and it is also facing U.S.

government investigations related to accounting irregularities.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in Macon County Circuit

Court in Illinois, alleges that worker Antonio McElrath was in a

Decatur facility known as the West Plant in April 2023 when a

supervisor told him to shut down a grain "leg" tube that started

smoking.

An explosion occurred when the tube was opened, and McElrath

was standing in its direct path, according to the lawsuit.

McElrath, now 44, was in an induced coma for two to three

weeks following the accident, his attorney Timothy Shay said.

"He has suffered significant injuries and is still in recovery."

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor's

Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that ADM

failed to inspect or test critical safety systems in the

explosion that injured McElrath and two other workers.

ADM had fire and explosion suppression systems in place to

prevent problems and keep workers safe, but the systems were not

working, the lawsuit alleges.

ADM's sprawling grain and oilseed processing complex in

Decatur also suffered dust explosions in 2018 and 2019, fires in

2019, and a smoldering event this summer at the West Plant,

according to the lawsuit.

Separately, workers were injured from an explosion at the

site's East Plant in September 2023. And on Monday, an

industrial fire broke out at ADM's sorbitol production

department of its East Plant, according to the Decatur Fire

Department.

ADM has focused on safety efforts companywide, ADM

spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said in an email statement late on

Thursday.

At its Decatur complex over the past year, the company

has hired process safety engineers and taken other steps to

improve safety in its processes, among other steps, Anderson

said. "We are fully committed to learning and improving when an

operational event occurs so that it does not happen again."