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FISH SPRINGS QUARRY: 86 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

American Perlite Company · Surface
Controlled by Dennis N Clarke
Big Pine,ca, Inyo County, CA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 0401140

FISH SPRINGS QUARRY has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
1983–1997
Latest incident
Mar 1997
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
86
citations
18
significant & substantial
$19,634
proposed penalties
$19,634
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
36
inspections on record
529
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: 529 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

FISH SPRINGS QUARRY has $20K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 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.
$20K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
80 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-07-23.
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.
21.2%
significant & substantial
28.2%
high negligence or reckless
21.2%
reasonably likely or greater
43.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 18.8% low, 52.9% moderate, 28.2% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, 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: 2026-01-13
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz5
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg4
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (11)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2026-01-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2026-01-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.53 1.49 0.36 Laborer, Bullgang
2024-10-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2021-03-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2005-12-14 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 1.8 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2005-12-14 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.17 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2003-04-30 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.44 Crusher Oper/Worker
2003-04-30 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.18 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-04-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2002-11-20 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.16 Scraper Operator
2002-11-20 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.32 2.14 0.15 Crusher Oper/Worker

Area samples (mill and shop air)

Last sampled: 2026-01-13
3
samples
Show the individual readings (6)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Area sampled
2026-01-13 ANALYZED BULK DUST MASS 0 SF GENERAL
2026-01-13 QUARTZ (BULK DUST) 0 SF GENERAL
2024-10-24 ANALYZED BULK DUST MASS 0 MP CRUSHING
2024-10-24 QUARTZ (BULK DUST) 0 MP CRUSHING
2024-10-24 ANALYZED BULK DUST MASS 0 MP DRY SCREENING
2024-10-24 QUARTZ (BULK DUST) 0 MP DRY SCREENING
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.

FISH SPRINGS 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 California, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.43 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.
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. American Perlite Company 1950 to 2019
  2. American Perlite Company 2019 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 8
2025 8
2024 7
2023 6
2022 6
2021 6
2020 3
2019 3
2011 1
2010 4
2009 5
2008 5
2007 4
2006 4
2005 4
2004 4
2003 3
2002 3
2001 3
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

FISH SPRINGS QUARRY sits in Inyo County, California, where the Census mining category is 1.7% 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.
Inyo County, California · Population 18,803
1.7%
Mining share of county employment
$72,432
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 5,910 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 6,054 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 5,835 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 5,760 1 0 173.6
2025 Q2 6,125 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 5,360 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 4,980 1 0 200.8
2024 Q3 5,440 0 0 0.0
Show 64 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 4,620 3 0 649.4
2024 Q1 4,000 5 0 1250.0
2023 Q4 2,880 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 4,024 17 7 4224.7
2023 Q2 3,980 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 4,320 2 0 463.0
2022 Q4 4,320 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,985 3 0 1005.0
2022 Q2 3,048 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 4,142 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 3,464 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 3,612 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 3,120 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 2,560 3 1 1171.9
2020 Q4 3,083 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 1,584 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,812 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 1,920 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 1,440 2 1 1388.9
2011 Q1 40 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 275 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 178 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,232 2 1 1623.4
2010 Q1 156 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 890 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 797 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 1,244 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 1,432 2 2 1396.6
2008 Q4 127 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 377 2 0 5305.0
2008 Q2 2,351 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 3,201 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 1,881 7 1 3721.4
2007 Q3 76 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 1,351 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,659 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,595 2 0 1253.9
2006 Q3 1,036 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 1,993 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,192 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 2,432 7 0 2878.3
2005 Q3 1,415 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,830 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 779 3 0 3851.1
2004 Q4 1,927 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,994 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,654 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,382 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 1,598 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 1,479 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 1,460 1 1 684.9
2003 Q1 1,510 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 1,458 9 3 6172.8
2002 Q3 1,557 1 0 642.3
2002 Q2 1,514 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 1,557 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 1,400 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 1,511 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 1,420 2 0 1408.5
2001 Q1 1,369 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 1,332 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 1,432 6 1 4189.9
2000 Q2 1,505 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 2,381 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

12 on file

1997 · 1 incident

March 6, 1997 CA · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) OTHER
American Perlite Company · Struck by flying object

EE WAS CHANGING BEARING ON CONVEYOR BELT WHEN WIND BENERATED PERLITE BLEW INTO RIGHT EYE.

1996 · 3 incidents

August 22, 1996 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
American Perlite Company · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

WORKER WAS SWINGING SLEDGE HAMMER TO REPOSITION TIRE ON DRYER, WHEN PAIN STARTED EE INFORMED EE THOGUHT IT MAY BE PULLED MUSCLE. DECIDED TO SEE IF PAIN WENT AWAY. TWO WEEKS LATER PAIN WAS STIL L PRESENT. SENT TO DR.

April 15, 1996 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator OTHER
American Perlite Company · Struck by flying object

EE WAS CHANGING SCREENS ON #1 & #2 HOMMERS ON THE DECK OF THE MILL WHEN A GUST OF WIND BLEW PERLITE DUST INTO EE'S EYES.

February 12, 1996 CA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman OTHER
American Perlite Company · Struck by flying object

EE USING SHOVEL TO CLEAN UNDER CONVEYOR BELT WHEN WIND GENERATED PERLITE BLEW INTO EYE[S].

1995 · 2 incidents

October 19, 1995 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator OTHER
American Perlite Company · Struck by flying object

EMPLOYEE WALKING MILL ON DAILY ROUTINE, WHEN WIND GENERATED PERLITE BLEW INTO RIGHT EYE.

September 25, 1995 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator OTHER
American Perlite Company · Struck by flying object

WALKING THE MILL WHEN PERLITE (WIND GENERATED) BLEW IN LEFT EYE.

1993 · 1 incident

August 10, 1993 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
American Perlite Company · Fall from ladders

EMPLOYEE WAS DECENDING LADDER (3 RUNG SHORT LADDER OFF OF TRUCK LOADING PLATFORM) FOOT SLIPPED ON RUNG STRIKING LEFT KNEE ON RUNG.

1992 · 2 incidents

August 28, 1992 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
American Perlite Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

54736YEE INSTALLING SLIDE IN CHUTE ON #8 BELT (CONVEYOR) SLIPPED AND FELL APPROX 3 FEET CATCHING RIGHT SHIN. ON ROUGH METAL SURFACE OF CONVEYOR. REQUIRING 7 STICHES (2 INNER, 5 OUTER) TO RIG 83028IN.

August 4, 1992 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
American Perlite Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

65978T SHIFTED PINCHING EMPLOYEES FINGER BETWEEN PRY BAR & ECDCENTRIC WEIGHT WHILE REPAIRING SYMONS ROD DECK NO BONE DAMAGE FINGER (MIDDLE LEFT HAND) REQUIRED STITCHES DOC RECOMMENDS FURTHER F 63366-UP

1990 · 2 incidents

December 28, 1990 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
American Perlite Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPL INSTALLING JAW CRUSHER WHEN METAL PLATE COVERING HOLE IN CONCRETE SLIPPED & COLLAPSED CAUSING LEFT LEG TO GO THROUGH HOLE PUNCTURING LEFT SHIN PUNCTURE WOUND REQUIRED TWO STITCHES. PUNTUR E WOUND CAUSED BY METAL I BEAM USED TO SUPPORT JAW CRUSHER.

October 29, 1990 CA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator OTHER
American Perlite Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EMPLOYEE OPENED DOOR ON LOADER, WHEN CLIMBING UP TO FILL HYDRAULIC FLUID, A CRUST OF WIND BLEW DOOR CLOSED STRIKING EMPLOYEE ON COLLAR BONE.

1983 · 1 incident

January 31, 1983 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
American Perlite Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

WHILE PUSHING A WHEELBARROW, HE SLIPPED ON SNOW, LOST HIS FOOTING AND LANDED ON HIS POSTERIOR.