FT. MORGAN, Colo. – A power outage temporarily stopped work on the fabrication floor of a Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Ft. Morgan, Colo.

The outage occurred Jan. 6 and only affected the fabrication portion of the facility. However, all first-shift staff was sent home to prevent production back-ups. The company attributed the outage to a malfunctioning transformer. Condensation on the inside of the casing caused fuses to blow out.

"The condensation resulted from the recent freezing and thawing that was weather-related," said Mike Martin, Cargill director of communications. "Power was out for 2 hours (12:30 – 2:30 Mountain Time) while maintenance crews worked to eliminate the moisture and reset the transformer.  The first shift was sent home midday and second shift worked as usual."