Cement Plant Malfunctions, Injures Four

By Dennis Lambert
Published: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 - 9:54am
Updated: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 - 10:02am
Audio icon Download mp3 (522.72 KB)

Four workers at a cement plant north of Tucson are recovering from injuries they received when a hopper used to fill cement trucks with dry cement malfunctioned early Monday.

Captain Adam Goldberg of the Northwest Fire District says it’s not clear what happened during what was a routine operation at the Staker Parson Cement Plant, but it left two workers covered in dust.

 “These two employees were working under the silo and at this point an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the malfunction which caused the silo to open up and remain open,” Goldberg said.

He says two other workers were covered by the dust when they tried to fix the broken valve. He adds that the material is not toxic but does contain crushed limestone which can irritate the respiratory system.