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MAGNA — The Bible has a four-letter word for places like where Preston Peterson works.
The flames, constant red/orange tint, and loud industrial noise are things he can't put into words when his friends ask him about his job.
"For someone who doesn't work here, you can't even explain it. I just tell them I work with metal that is in liquid form,” said Peterson.
Peterson is one of the operators at the Kennecott smelter, that big smokestack you see off I-80 near the Great Salt Lake, and most people never get to see what it looks like on the inside.
You will also never hear workers complaining of how cold it is outside, even in the winter.
"Definitely not right in this area, that's for sure. It's definitely warm. Nice and warm,” said Peterson.
Of course, when he says the word “warm,” Peterson has a little smile that crosses his face.
The glowing orange molten metal is roughly 2,200 degrees. It’s poured into casts and can weigh 750 pounds.
Workers in protective, fire-resistant clothing work near the slabs when it’s necessary to clear some of the molten metal from machinery.
It’s a job that is very different from most.
Peterson works in a control room just over the molten metal where it’s hot all the time.
"Yeah, I've worked out here 15 years, and to me, it's kind of like every day. But yeah, it's definitely unique,” said Peterson with a laugh.
The metal is dug from the Oquirrh Mountains on Kennecott property. After it is melted down, the metal is poured into casts, it hardens into a solid, then it's cooled in water before taken to a refinery. From there, silver and gold are separated from the copper, but most of the product is copper.
About 1,100 tons of copper is shipped from Kennecott’s smelter every single day, and because of the worldwide demand for the metal, it’s a 24-hour operation.
"In the U.S., we all like our telephones, we all like our electronic devices, we like our electronic cars. All that copper material comes from here,” said Ryan Walton, the operations manager at the Kennecott smelter.
For workers, being in the constant heat and steam is something they're used to. Just don't ever complain about that other four-letter word: cold.
"It can be 150-200 degrees in these areas, but it's a real blast, you know? We take safety very seriously, but we also take a lot of pride in our work," said Walton.
Contributing: Mike DeBernardo
