citations per 100 inspection hours
ⓘThis rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.
Rate withheld: 928 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Athens Quarry has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets.
Penalty disposition
ⓘDifferences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$11K
proposed penalties
$9K
current assessed
$9K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
26 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-08.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
Violation severity profile
ⓘShares are computed over citations that carry the MSHA gravity and negligence coding; a small share of records are uncoded.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
When citations were contested
ⓘContesting a citation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is a lawful right. These figures state the public outcomes of that process, from MSHA's Contested Violations file.
6citations taken to the federal commission · 22% of citations on record
Settled
5 · 83%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 17%
100%
S&S designation survived the contest
ⓘCounts a Significant & Substantial citation as surviving when a settlement or judge's decision kept the designation, or the contest was dismissed or defaulted so the citation stands as issued. Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.
of 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
25%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$7K proposed, $6K after decisions · industry: 39%
Source: MSHA Contested Violations file (public record), updated weekly. A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record. Latest contest filed 2011-07-22.
Contested penalties
ⓘA reduction or dismissal at the Commission is a lawful outcome of contesting a proposed penalty. Figures are the proposed amount and the amount upheld in the docket's decision.
Largest penalties this mine contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Health sampling
ⓘA sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.
Metal and nonmetal contaminants (personal samples)
ⓘMany samples are screening measurements of substances with no applicable exposure limit; they are counted as samples but excluded from every over-limit figure. Over-limit shares use only limit-tested samples.
Last sampled: 2025-09-24
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
21
samples
6
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg14
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (21)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2025-09-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2023-08-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2023-08-14
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.17
10
0.02
Cleanup Man
2023-08-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2023-08-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2019-04-02
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.26
Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-04-02
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2019-04-02
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2014-12-10
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2014-12-10
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.23
10
0.02
Crusher Oper/Worker
2014-12-10
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.12
10
0.01
Cleanup Man
2010-07-08
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2010-07-08
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2005-01-27
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.13
10
0.01
Bulldozer Operator
2004-04-01
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Supervisor, Co. Official
2004-04-01
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-04-01
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
1.47
0.10
Crusher Oper/Worker
2001-06-05
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bulldozer Operator
2001-06-05
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Jackhammer Operator
2001-06-05
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
1.18
0.14
Crusher Oper/Worker
2001-06-05
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly. Metal/nonmetal contaminant figures come from MSHA's Personal Health Samples and Area Samples files (public record), updated weekly.
Athens Quarry recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘThis rate is reportable injury cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers per year, computed as 200,000 times cases divided by MSHA operator-reported employee-hours. Cases are injuries MSHA graded degree 01 through 07; accident-only events that hurt no one are excluded, and so are contractor injuries, whose hours do not attach to a single mine. Rates begin in 2000, when quarterly employment reporting starts, and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Tennessee, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.25 cases per 100 workers that year.
Under 100,000 employee-hours were reported that year, so a single case moves the rate by two or more. Read the figure as approximate.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
Source: injury cases from MSHA accident and injury records; employee-hours from MSHA quarterly employment reports. Rate is cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers, operator employees only.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
14
2025
12
2024
16
2023
16
2022
16
2021
8
2020
9
2019
9
2018
9
2017
9
2016
8
2015
8
2014
10
2013
11
2012
14
2011
14
2010
6
2009
7
2008
12
2007
14
2006
13
2005
13
2004
12
2003
12
2002
13
2001
14
2000
14
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Athens Quarry sits in McMinn County, Tennessee, where the Census mining category is 0.0% of county employment.
Local economic context
ⓘCounty figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
McMinn County, Tennessee · Population 54,135
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$59,674
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
ⓘCitations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Two trespassers were on site early in the morning and one male fell off the highwall from the level above. They were treated at the scene and left via ambulance. The immediate report hotline was called when we were made aware that the injuries were potentially life threatening. Extent of the injuries are unknown at this time.
2007 · 1 incident
July 26, 2007TN · Metal/Non-Metalwelder (shop)OTHER
The injured employee was trying to remove a piece of metal from the #3 belt when the magnet pulled the metal piece back up and caught the tip of the right index finger causing a amputation to the tip of the right index finger
2002 · 1 incident
July 26, 2002TN · Metal/Non-Metalelectrician, linemanELECTRICAL
REPAIRING QUARRY PUMP STARTER. WHILE CHANGING OUT CONTROL TRANSFORMER THE TOOL HE WAS USING NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS CAME INTO CONTACT WITH ENERZIED PART OF STARTER. REDEIVED APPROX. 2ND DEGREE BURN TO TIGHT HAND AND FOREARM GENERATED BY ELECTRICAL FAULT.
1997 · 2 incidents
August 26, 1997TN · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
HAD JUST FINISHED REPLACING WEAR LINER WHEN EXITING THROUGH SIDE DOOR OF IMPACK CRUSHER, RAISED HIS HEAD NAD HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FOREHEAD ON THE CROSS MEMBER SUPPORT OF ROCK BREAKER PLATF ORM.
1991 · 1 incident
March 18, 1991TN · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
I,NAME WAS CLEA3ING THE BUILD UP OFF THE BENT PULLEY WITH A BAR WHEN THE BAR GOT CAUGHT BETWEEN THE PULLEY AND THE SCRAPER, CAUSING HIS HAND TO BE PULLED INTO THE PULLEY.
1986 · 1 incident
September 30, 1986TN · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS