Company conducting investigation into cause of the blast at an oilseed crushing facility in the UK
Three contract workers were injured in an explosion at an ADM oilseed crushing plant in Erith, London, England.
According to an ADM spokesperson, the explosion occurred at approximately 9 a.m. on June 19 in the extraction area of the facility. Three contractors who were working outside, in an adjacent silo, suffered injuries and were taken to a local hospital.
“The safety and health of all our colleagues and the community where we operate is our top priority, the fire brigade worked onsite and extinguished the fire, the plant was fully evacuated and shut down,” the spokesperson told Feed Strategy in an email. “At this point, we do not know the cause of the explosion, but there is an ongoing investigation to determine its cause.”
BBC reported that the police said the workers’ injuries were “consistent with burns.” The report also said more than 400 workers at neighboring businesses were evacuated.
As one of the largest processing facilities in the U.K., ADM’s Erith plant processes approximately 1 million tons of rapeseed each year. The plant crushes the seeds and refines the crude oil into about 385,000 tons of refined oil that is used in a variety of food ingredients and in biofuels throughout Europe. The meal from these crushing operations is used as feed by livestock producers in the U.K., France and Ireland.
