Mining Incidents

Gordon Sand Co: 124 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Gordon Sand Co · Surface
Controlled by Salud Maria Gordon
Guadalupe, Santa Barbara County, CA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 0401787

Gordon Sand Co has $40K in proposed MSHA penalties and $16K outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
1992–2005
Latest incident
Nov 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
124
citations
40
significant & substantial
$40,081
proposed penalties
$24,540
paid to date
61% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $15,541 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
75
inspections on record
1,127
inspection hours
11.0
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.
124 citations across 1,127 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Gordon Sand Co has $40K in proposed MSHA penalties and $16K outstanding across 4 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.
$40K
proposed penalties
$40K
current assessed
$25K
paid to date
$16K
outstanding
118 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-26.
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.
32.5%
significant & substantial
17.1%
high negligence or reckless
32.5%
reasonably likely or greater
48.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.6% low, 72.4% moderate, 17.1% 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.
10 citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 10%
  • Stood as issued 6 · 60%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 3 · 30%
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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
17%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $1K 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 2015-05-20.
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
WEST 2010-864M Default Lesnick 2011 $486 → $486
WEST 2014-47M Default Manning 2014 $400 → $400
WEST 2006-524M Withdrawal Manning 2008 $297 → $177
WEST 2015-0652 Withdrawal Miller 2016 $100 → $0
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: 2022-04-27, 4 years ago
25%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
14
samples
8
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz82 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg6
Show the individual readings (14)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2009-02-25 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 2.99 0.59 5.07 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2005-03-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.62 0.45 1.38 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-04-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2020-07-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-03-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2009-07-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.36 0.6 0.60 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2009-02-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2007-06-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.33 0.73 0.45 Bagging Operator
2007-06-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.26 0.74 0.35 Forklift Operator
2005-06-30 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.46 0.54 0.85 Laborer, Bullgang
2005-06-30 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.35 0.72 0.49 Laborer, Bullgang
2005-03-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2004-02-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.68 0.18 Bagging Operator
2004-02-11 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bagging 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
  1. Gordon Sand Co 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 3
2025 3
2024 4
2023 0
2022 4
2021 4
2020 3
2019 4
2018 3
2017 2
2016 2
2015 2
2014 2
2013 2
2012 3
2011 3
2010 3
2009 4
2008 4
2007 5
2006 4
2005 5
2004 4
2003 4
2002 4
2001 5
2000 5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Gordon Sand Co sits in Santa Barbara County, California, where the Census mining category is 0.2% 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.
Santa Barbara County, California · Population 443,975
0.2%
Mining share of county employment
$95,977
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 1,015 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 1,228 2 0 1628.7
2025 Q4 1,120 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 1,377 1 1 726.2
2025 Q2 1,616 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 1,328 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 1,196 1 0 836.1
2024 Q3 1,472 1 0 679.3
Show 95 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 926 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 200 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 0 0 0
2023 Q2 0 0 0
2022 Q4 1,432 2 0 1396.6
2022 Q3 1,606 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 1,560 3 1 1923.1
2022 Q1 1,560 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 1,632 4 3 2451.0
2021 Q3 1,560 2 1 1282.1
2021 Q2 1,157 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 922 6 1 6507.6
2020 Q4 840 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 1,165 4 4 3433.5
2020 Q2 1,209 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 1,293 1 1 773.4
2019 Q4 1,443 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 1,358 2 1 1472.8
2019 Q2 1,585 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 992 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 1,040 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1,112 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 1,171 2 0 1707.9
2018 Q1 1,171 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 1,024 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 1,040 1 1 961.5
2017 Q2 880 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 520 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 581 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 520 1 0 1923.1
2016 Q2 784 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 1,028 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,039 1 0 962.5
2015 Q3 1,085 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 800 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 947 1 0 1056.0
2014 Q4 949 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,040 2 0 1923.1
2014 Q2 960 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 1,014 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 1,020 2 1 1960.8
2013 Q3 990 4 1 4040.4
2013 Q2 560 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 458 2 0 4366.8
2012 Q4 1,018 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 1,456 3 3 2060.4
2012 Q2 1,203 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 988 1 0 1012.1
2011 Q4 1,064 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 1,251 1 0 799.4
2011 Q2 1,143 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 1,326 1 1 754.1
2010 Q4 1,356 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 1,690 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 1,618 1 1 618.0
2010 Q1 1,546 2 2 1293.7
2009 Q4 1,599 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 1,480 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 557 4 0 7181.3
2009 Q1 1,744 5 2 2867.0
2008 Q4 1,814 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 1,936 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 2,327 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 1,581 2 1 1265.0
2007 Q4 1,818 2 0 1100.1
2007 Q3 1,777 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 4,631 3 0 647.8
2007 Q1 2,776 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 1,851 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 2,023 1 0 494.3
2006 Q2 2,236 2 1 894.5
2006 Q1 1,550 7 0 4516.1
2005 Q4 856 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 1,908 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,437 3 2 2087.7
2005 Q1 1,749 1 1 571.8
2004 Q4 1,589 2 0 1258.7
2004 Q3 1,173 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 1,416 4 1 2824.9
2004 Q1 1,476 5 2 3387.5
2003 Q4 1,718 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 1,576 3 2 1903.6
2003 Q2 1,576 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 1,802 6 2 3329.6
2002 Q4 2,217 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 1,435 3 0 2090.6
2002 Q2 1,628 6 0 3685.5
2002 Q1 1,492 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 2,403 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,276 2 0 878.7
2001 Q2 2,004 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1,659 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,436 2 0 821.0
2000 Q2 1,938 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,448 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2005 · 1 incident

November 10, 2005 CA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Gordon Sand Co · Struck by falling object

Working in Wet Plant. Was on catwalk when he slipped and grabbed loose grate. Fell to catwalk and grate fell on his left knee.

2000 · 1 incident

July 17, 2000 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Gordon Sand Co · Struck against stationary object

CLOSED SLIDING GLASS WINDOW WITH PALM OF HAND. SHATTERED GLASS RESULTING IN LACERATION ON WRIST.

1997 · 1 incident

July 30, 1997 CA · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Gordon Sand Co · Contact with hot objects or substances

WHEN I WAS REMOVING RADIATOR CAP FROM PICKUP TRUCK, AFTER IT HAD SAT FOR 10 MINS, I ACCIDENTLY WENT PAST THE PRESSURE RELIEF NOTCH. THE CAP WAS BLOWN OFF BY THE EXCESS PRESSURE AND HOT WATER H IT ME IN THE FACE AND EYE. THE ACCIDENT CAUSED MINOR FACIAL BURN AND ABRADING OF THE CORNEA.

1992 · 1 incident

June 22, 1992 CA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator MACHINERY
Gordon Sand Co · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE PALLETIZING SACKS OF SAND, THE SACKER FELT PAIN IN HIS RIGHT WRIST. HE WAS EVENTUALLY UNABLE TO CONTINUED SACKING BECAUSE OF THE PAIN.