DELTA, Utah (ABC 4 News) - An employee who may have exposed hundreds of employees to the measles has caused a Utah power plant to turn employees away.
A spokesperson for the Intermountain Power Agency, which owns and operates the Intermountain Project plant near Delta told ABC 4 News that one employee returned from a honeymoon outside the country last week, and worked at the plant one day while feeling ill.
According to IPA spokesman John Ward, the employee later discovered that he had the measles, and could have exposed more than 300 fellow employees and private contractors who work in the plant.
The Central Utah Health Department confirmed the measles case, the first confirmed case of the disease in Central Health District in many years.
The CUHD said that anyone who has had close contact with this case have been notified and encouraged to receive any necessary vaccinations.
“We strongly encourage individuals to stay up to date with their immunizations, as the MMR vaccine is one of the most highly effective vaccines given.” said Bruce Costa, Executive Director for Central Utah Public Health Department.
Ward said that some employees have been vaccinated as a precaution, but anyone born after 1957 was not allowed to work at the plant unless they could prove they had been vaccinated prior to the exposure.
The IPP plant supplies power for the City of Los Angeles and parts of southern Utah.
Ward said that approximately 500 employees work at the plant, and that 100 have been aked to stay away from work due to the measles health concerns.
Ward said that the plant was operating at full capacity, although with some inconvenience to the approved workers, most of which were born before 1957.
Ward said IPA did not anticipate that the drawback in available employees would affect the plant's ability to deliver power to its customers.
