Kentucky Cement Company Blamed in Elevator Death

Federal regulators say the operator of a Louisville, Ky., cement plant is responsible for the death of an employee who fell 51 feet down an elevator shaft.

In a report made public this week, regulators said Filipe Mata Vizcaya’s death in February was more than two years after CEMEX was made aware that the elevator doors were defective and should be replaced.

The Courier-Journal reported Thursday that the report was from the U.S. Labor Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration.

CEMEX spokeswoman Sara Engdahl and other CEMEX officials didn’t respond to the newspaper’s requests for comment.

The newspaper said repairs were made to the doors in the days before the accident.
Mexico-based CEMEX has been cited for a safety violation. MSHA spokeswoman Amy Louviere said penalties are still being determined.