PUEBLO, Colo. – GCC’s Pueblo Plant won the Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) 2020 Safety Innovation Award which recognizes creative, safety-enhancing projects in the cement industry.

PCA recognized the Pueblo Plant for its semi-automated clinker feeding system. The system reduces employee exposure time and risk associated with working inside the clinker dome by designing a semi-automated clinker dome feed system.

“We’re very proud of the Pueblo Plant for it’s commitment to safety and to innovation. At GCC, we all take health and safety very seriously so that everyone goes home safe and sound each day.”

Ron Henley, president

Prior to the innovation, employees would work in the dome for an entire sift to move and feed clinker to various extraction chutes. That increased exposure to various workplace hazards.

After completion of the auto-feed system, employees now work inside the dome for approximately four hours a day to assist the auto-feed, reducing the manual movement of clinker and eliminating the need for haul trucks to enter the dome.

In addition to the great safety benefits, the plan also increased efficiencies by significantly decreasing dome fill time using the auto-feed system.

This is the Pueblo Plant’s second award from the PCA this year. Additionally the plant was again recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for being among the nation’s most energy-efficient manufacturing facilities.