Unimin Specialty Minerals Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects
EE WAS ASSISTING THE CHANGING OF CUTTING EDGES ON SCRAPER. WHEN HE HELPED LIFT A 40# PIECE OF STEEL, HE STRAINED A MUSCLE IN HIS LOWER BACK.
BIRK 1 Pit: 9 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal
Unimin Specialty Minerals Inc
· Surface
Controlled by
Covia Holdings LLC
Tamms,
Alexander County,
IL
·
Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1102837
BIRK 1 Pit has $675 in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 2
- Years on record
- 1993–1996
- Latest incident
- Sep 1996
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
9
citations
1
significant & substantial
$675
proposed penalties
$675
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
21
inspections on record
333
inspection hours
n/a
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: 333 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
BIRK 1 Pit has $675 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.$675
proposed penalties
$675
current assessed
$675
paid to date
$0
outstanding
9 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $290 in penalties contested before the Commission, $255 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-07-22.
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.11.1%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
11.1%
reasonably likely or greater
55.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 22.2% low, 77.8% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
2
citations taken to the federal commission · 22% of citations on record
- Settled 2 · 100%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$200 proposed, $200 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 2008-03-26.
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.
| Docket | Decision | Judge | Year | Proposed / upheld |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAKE 2008-357M | Settlement | Lesnick | 2009 | $200 → $200 |
| LAKE20000032M | Settlement | Barbour | 2000 | $90 → $55 |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
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: 2010-05-05, 16 years ago
ⓘ
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.0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
31
samples
8
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
- Respirable dust, <.1mg23
- Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz4
- Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
Show the individual readings (31)
| Date | Contaminant | Concentration | Limit | Conc / limit | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-05-05 | Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz | 0.14 | 10 | 0.01 | Truck Driver |
| 2010-05-05 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.25 | 0.55 | 0.45 | Truck Driver |
| 2008-02-01 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2008-02-01 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2007-08-01 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2007-08-01 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2007-08-01 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2007-08-01 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2007-02-27 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2007-02-27 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.12 | 1.29 | 0.09 | Bulldozer Operator |
| 2006-02-28 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2006-02-28 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2006-02-28 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2005-03-22 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Bulldozer Operator | ||
| 2005-03-22 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2005-03-22 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2004-03-03 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2004-03-03 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2004-03-03 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2003-01-29 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Bulldozer Operator | ||
| 2003-01-29 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2003-01-29 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2002-07-11 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Bulldozer Operator | ||
| 2002-07-11 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2002-07-11 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Truck Driver | ||
| 2002-03-26 | Respirable dust, <.1mg | 0 | Front-end Loader Operator | ||
| 2002-03-26 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.15 | 0.26 | 0.58 | Bulldozer Operator |
| 2002-03-26 | Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz | 0.21 | 0.32 | 0.66 | Truck Driver |
| 2001-04-24 | Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz | 0.23 | 10 | 0.02 | Bulldozer Operator |
| 2001-04-24 | Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz | 0.83 | 10 | 0.08 | Truck Driver |
| 2001-04-24 | Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz | 0 | 10 | 0.00 | 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.
Ownership history
- Illinois Minerals Company 1985 to 1989
- Unimin Specialty Minerals Inc 1989 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
| Year | Employees |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2000 | 4 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
BIRK 1 Pit sits in Alexander County, Illinois, where the Census mining category is 2.6% 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.Alexander County, Illinois · Population 5,042
2.6%
Mining share of county employment
$43,523
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
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Q2 | 2,789 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2010 Q1 | 3,104 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 Q4 | 2,294 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 Q3 | 2,897 | 1 | 0 | 345.2 |
| 2009 Q2 | 2,741 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 Q1 | 3,214 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q4 | 3,041 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q3 | 3,658 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Show 34 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Q2 | 3,552 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q1 | 2,409 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 Q4 | 3,105 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 Q3 | 3,529 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 Q2 | 2,556 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 Q1 | 2,075 | 2 | 0 | 963.9 |
| 2006 Q4 | 2,429 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q3 | 3,053 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q2 | 3,315 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q1 | 2,810 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005 Q4 | 2,908 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005 Q3 | 2,922 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005 Q2 | 3,282 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005 Q1 | 2,516 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004 Q4 | 2,437 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004 Q3 | 3,116 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004 Q2 | 2,936 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004 Q1 | 2,750 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q4 | 2,319 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q3 | 3,366 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q2 | 2,355 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003 Q1 | 2,837 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002 Q4 | 2,101 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002 Q3 | 2,958 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002 Q2 | 2,565 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002 Q1 | 2,522 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 Q4 | 1,657 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 Q3 | 2,941 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 Q2 | 2,488 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 Q1 | 2,038 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2000 Q4 | 1,614 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2000 Q3 | 2,563 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2000 Q2 | 1,912 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2000 Q1 | 2,254 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file1996 · 1 incident
1993 · 1 incident
Unimin Specialty Minerals Inc · Struck against stationary object
WORKER WAS ATTEMPTING TO HHOK UP THE SAFETY CHAIN FOR THE DRILL RIG,THE FREE END OF WHICH HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE PORETABLE AIR COMPRESSOR. AS HE PULLED UP TO REMOVE T HE SAFETY CHAIN,HIS AHND STRUCK THE SHARP EDGE OF THE SPROCKET CAUSING A ONE INCH LONG CUT BETWEEN THE RIGHT THUMB AND FIRST FINGER WHICH REQUIRED FIVE STITCHES TO CLOSE.