Erna Sands LLC has $98K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 20 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
13
Years on record
2010–2019
Latest incident
May 2019
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2010
146
citations
31
significant & substantial
$97,966
proposed penalties
$64,176
paid to date
66% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $33,790 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2010
37
inspections on record
666
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: 666 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
2
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2017-12-04.
On record since 2011.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Erna Sands LLC has $98K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 20 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.
$98K
proposed penalties
$64K
current assessed
$64K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
142 assessments are final orders; 20 contested dockets.
Of $86K in penalties contested before the Commission, $52K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-08-27.
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.
77citations taken to the federal commission · 53% of citations on record
Settled
54 · 70%
Stood as issued
21 · 27%
Vacated or withdrawn
2 · 3%
68%
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 31 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
40%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$86K proposed, $52K 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 2023-04-05.
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: 2023-01-04, 3 years ago
30%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
20
samples
10
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz143 over
Respirable dust, <.1mg6
Show the individual readings (20)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2017-04-19
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
2.34
0.88
2.66
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2017-04-19
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
3.04
0.91
3.34
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2014-05-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
2.23
1.3
1.72
Utility Man
2023-01-04
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.19
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-01-04
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2023-01-04
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2019-02-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
Truck Loader
2019-02-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-02-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.16
Utility Man
2019-02-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.14
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2017-06-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2017-06-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
1.76
0.10
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2014-11-04
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.01
1.44
0.70
Utility Man
2014-11-04
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.11
1.37
0.81
Utility Man
2014-09-17
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.53
1.37
0.39
Utility Man
2014-05-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.51
2.17
0.24
Utility Man
2014-05-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.43
1.26
0.34
Truck Loader
2010-10-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2010-10-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-10-13
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.21
1.54
0.14
Crusher Oper/Worker
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.
Erna Sands LLC recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.77 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Texas, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.49 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
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017
0.00
0.00
0.000
2016
0.00
0.00
0.000
2015
2.33
2.33
0.000
2014
2.37
1.18
0.000
2013
2.32
2.32
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
2025
5
2024
16
2023
12
2022
7
2019
31
2018
47
2017
55
2016
53
2015
55
2014
55
2013
55
2012
50
2011
41
2010
29
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Erna Sands LLC sits in Mason County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 3.1% 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.
Mason County, Texas · Population 3,951
3.1%
Mining share of county employment
$68,750
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
2025 Q1
3,555
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
3,910
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
5,333
3
0
562.5
2024 Q2
6,846
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
10,992
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
7,456
6
0
804.7
2023 Q3
7,850
6
0
764.3
2023 Q2
8,258
0
0
0.0
Show 41 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2023 Q1
4,123
25
4
6063.5
2022 Q4
2,435
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
3,360
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
7,626
1
0
131.1
2019 Q2
19,790
2
0
101.1
2019 Q1
26,898
4
0
148.7
2018 Q4
26,446
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
29,550
2
1
67.7
2018 Q2
30,547
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
31,917
5
1
156.7
2017 Q4
30,540
1
0
32.7
2017 Q3
41,187
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
40,707
8
1
196.5
2017 Q1
37,854
4
0
105.7
2016 Q4
35,022
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
38,483
4
1
103.9
2016 Q2
38,404
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
39,064
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
44,371
7
0
157.8
2015 Q3
44,343
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
40,004
5
1
125.0
2015 Q1
42,592
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
44,594
6
3
134.5
2014 Q3
42,514
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
42,796
5
1
116.8
2014 Q1
38,898
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
38,737
9
4
232.3
2013 Q3
41,260
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
45,980
9
3
195.7
2013 Q1
46,623
4
1
85.8
2012 Q4
45,891
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
41,124
1
0
24.3
2012 Q2
41,705
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
36,980
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
38,208
2
0
52.3
2011 Q3
38,303
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
37,753
7
1
185.4
2011 Q1
34,554
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
26,415
8
3
302.9
2010 Q3
18,260
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
19,969
11
5
550.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
13 on file
2019 · 1 incident
May 22, 2019TX · Metal/Non-Metalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Miner strained a muscle in his shoulder from a slip and fall accident, no danger no impairment
2013 · 2 incidents
May 17, 2013TX · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Two miners were replacing impeller blocks for a VSI crusher, while removing the old impeller blocks, one block was dropped by another miner and smashed the injured miners left ring finger on the distal joint causing a contusion. Damage or impairment has not been verified at this time.
March 30, 2011TX · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The miner was changing an oil filter on a haul truck. When the filter released from the truck the miner pulled a muscle in his groin. No damage or impairment.
2010 · 2 incidents
August 23, 2010TX · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Clean up using a skid steer, the employee drove to close to a concrete pillar and his left thumb was struck. No damage or impairment.
July 24, 2010TX · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON