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Blackstone Plant: 181 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Blackstone, Worcester County, MA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1901007

Blackstone Plant has $34K 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
6
Years on record
1991–2013
Latest incident
Jan 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
181
citations
46
significant & substantial
$33,502
proposed penalties
$32,926
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $576 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Kimball Sand Company Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
60
inspections on record
1,059
inspection hours
17.1
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.
181 citations across 1,059 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Blackstone Plant has $34K 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.
$34K
proposed penalties
$33K
current assessed
$33K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
180 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $450 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-21.
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.
25.6%
significant & substantial
8.9%
high negligence or reckless
25.6%
reasonably likely or greater
63.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 22.8% low, 68.3% moderate, 8.9% 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 · 1% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 50%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 50%
50%
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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
85%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $450 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 2014-06-25.
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
YORK 2014-0161 Withdrawal Moran 2015 $2K → $0
YORK 2011-163M Settlement Moran 2011 $1K → $450
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: 2026-01-22
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
29
samples
13
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg15
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz8
  • Arsenic fumes3
  • Beryllium fumes3
Show the individual readings (67)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-01-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2026-01-22 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.26 1.47 0.18 Truck Driver
2026-01-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2026-01-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2024-08-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-01-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2023-01-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-01-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2019-06-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.27 0.7 0.39 Laborer, Bullgang
2019-06-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.3 Laborer, Bullgang
2017-05-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.26 0.5 0.52 Crusher Oper/Worker
2017-05-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Hammer Mill Operator
2017-05-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2017-05-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.17 1.45 0.12 Truck Driver
2016-03-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2015-02-12 Vanadium fumes 0 50 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Nickel fumes 0 3 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Molybdenum fumes 0 20 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Manganese fumes 0.22 5 0.04 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Magnesium oxide fumes 0 20 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Beryllium fumes 0 6 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Arsenic fumes 0 1500 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Cadmium oxide fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Cobalt fumes 0 300 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Copper fumes 28.24 300 0.09 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Iron oxide fumes 2.85 20 0.14 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Zinc oxide fumes 0.04 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Lead fumes 0 450 0.00 Welder, etc.
2015-02-12 Chromium, insoluble 0 3 0.00 Welder, etc.
2010-01-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.24 1.25 0.19 Drill Operator, Rotary Air
2010-01-07 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-01-22 Nickel fumes 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Arsenic fumes 0 500 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Beryllium fumes 0 2 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Cadmium oxide fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Chromium, insoluble 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Cobalt fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Copper fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Iron oxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Lead fumes 0 150 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Magnesium oxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Manganese fumes 0 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Molybdenum fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Vanadium fumes 0 50 0.00 Welder, etc.
2009-01-22 Zinc oxide fumes 0 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2005-03-17 Zinc oxide fumes 0 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Vanadium fumes 0 50 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Titanium dioxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Nickel fumes 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Molybdenum fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Manganese fumes 0.01 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Magnesium oxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Lead fumes 0.12 150 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Iron oxide fumes 0.08 10 0.01 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Copper fumes 0.37 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Cobalt fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Chromium, insoluble 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Cadmium oxide fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Beryllium fumes 0 2 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Arsenic fumes 0 500 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Aluminum oxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2005-03-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2001-06-06 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.21 0.5 0.42 Truck Driver
2001-06-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2001-06-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2001-06-06 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.51 0.68 0.75 Truck Driver
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.

Blackstone Plant 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 Massachusetts, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.41 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
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Kimball Sand Company Inc 1987 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 18
2025 16
2024 16
2023 16
2022 15
2021 13
2020 11
2019 11
2018 9
2017 7
2016 8
2015 8
2014 8
2013 8
2012 7
2011 7
2010 8
2009 8
2008 6
2007 7
2006 6
2005 6
2004 6
2003 8
2002 11
2001 10
2000 9
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Blackstone Plant sits in Worcester County, Massachusetts, 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.
Worcester County, Massachusetts · Population 861,664
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$93,561
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
2026 Q2 11,448 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 7,636 2 0 261.9
2025 Q4 10,122 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 9,950 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 9,801 1 0 102.0
2025 Q1 7,214 1 0 138.6
2024 Q4 9,690 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 9,627 4 0 415.5
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 8,284 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 7,716 3 1 388.8
2023 Q4 8,517 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 8,631 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 7,637 8 1 1047.5
2023 Q1 8,074 1 0 123.9
2022 Q4 7,783 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 9,066 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 8,995 3 0 333.5
2022 Q1 7,415 4 1 539.4
2021 Q4 8,450 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 8,578 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 7,885 4 0 507.3
2021 Q1 5,961 1 0 167.8
2020 Q4 5,926 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 6,497 1 0 153.9
2020 Q2 6,535 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 6,709 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 6,185 3 1 485.0
2019 Q3 6,663 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 6,711 5 3 745.0
2019 Q1 5,355 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 4,822 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 5,882 2 0 340.0
2018 Q2 6,391 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 3,967 2 1 504.2
2017 Q4 4,528 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 5,016 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 5,099 5 1 980.6
2017 Q1 3,805 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 4,642 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 4,546 5 3 1099.9
2016 Q2 4,284 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 4,199 10 2 2381.5
2015 Q4 4,032 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 3,975 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 3,983 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 2,559 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 4,442 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 4,230 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 4,427 2 1 451.8
2014 Q1 2,819 7 0 2483.2
2013 Q4 3,875 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 4,126 1 0 242.4
2013 Q2 3,507 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 3,725 1 0 268.5
2012 Q4 3,647 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 4,191 1 1 238.6
2012 Q2 3,660 2 0 546.4
2012 Q1 1,650 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,975 4 1 1344.5
2011 Q3 3,081 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 3,364 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 3,085 3 1 972.4
2010 Q4 4,763 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,660 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 4,310 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 2,840 20 8 7042.3
2009 Q4 3,016 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 2,749 5 3 1818.8
2009 Q2 2,388 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 3,836 3 0 782.1
2008 Q4 2,892 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 1,971 1 0 507.4
2008 Q2 2,107 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 2,828 2 0 707.2
2007 Q4 2,443 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 2,659 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 2,666 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 2,456 9 0 3664.5
2006 Q4 3,421 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 3,911 11 2 2812.6
2006 Q2 3,135 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 3,435 6 3 1746.7
2005 Q4 3,200 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,881 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,301 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 2,558 4 3 1563.7
2004 Q4 2,810 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 2,797 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 3,074 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 3,018 5 1 1656.7
2003 Q4 3,527 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 3,466 11 4 3173.7
2003 Q2 3,352 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,179 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 3,927 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 4,138 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 3,667 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 2,633 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 2,553 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,666 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 3,124 12 4 3841.2
2001 Q1 3,178 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,526 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,409 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 3,036 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 2,304 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

2013 · 1 incident

January 7, 2013 MA · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech STRIKING OR BUMPING
Kimball Sand Company Inc · Struck against stationary object

Was trying to line up bolt holes in base plate. Took hard hat off to look closer at bolt hole. When he got up caught head on piece of steel.

1998 · 1 incident

January 13, 1998 MA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kimball Sand Company Inc · Fall from machine

EE MISSED FOOTING ON LADDER WHEN EXITING LOADER,. EE HIT RIGHT SHOULDER ON LADDER ON HIS WAY TO THE GROUND.

1997 · 1 incident

November 24, 1997 MA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kimball Sand Company Inc · Fall from machine

SLIPPED ON ICY PATCH ON GROUND WHEN GETTING OFF BULLDOZER. STRAINED RIGHT KNEE.

1994 · 1 incident

September 28, 1994 MA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator STEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
Kimball Sand Company Inc · Struck against stationary object

INJURED WAS GETTING DOWN FROM LOADER, MISSED BOTTOM STEP, STEPPED DOWN ON A ROCK AND TWISTED HIS ANKLE.

1993 · 1 incident

May 10, 1993 MA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator POWERED HAULAGE
Kimball Sand Company Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

REPETITIVE MOTION OF STEERING MECHANISM IN FRONT END LOADER.

1991 · 1 incident

October 3, 1991 MA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kimball Sand Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

INJURED CLOSED THE EXCAVATOR DOOR ON HIS FINGERS AND REQUIRED STITCHES IN HIS LEFT INDEX FINGER.