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Higgins Quarry, LLC: 137 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Higgins Quarry LLC · Surface
Controlled by William K Higgins
Loose Creek, Osage County, MO  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 2302016

Higgins Quarry, LLC has $30K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 7 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2004–2007
Latest incident
Sep 2007
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
137
citations
35
significant & substantial
$30,415
proposed penalties
$26,757
paid to date
88% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,658 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
86
inspections on record
1,025
inspection hours
13.4
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.
137 citations across 1,025 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Higgins Quarry, LLC has $30K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 7 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.
$30K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$27K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
137 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $8K in penalties contested before the Commission, $4K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-01.
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.
25.5%
significant & substantial
5.1%
high negligence or reckless
26.3%
reasonably likely or greater
67.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.7% none, 17.5% low, 76.6% moderate, 5.1% 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.
13 citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
  • Settled 10 · 77%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 8%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 2 · 15%
56%
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 9 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
50%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$8K proposed, $4K 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 2020-07-22.
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
CENT 2020-0198 Settlement 2020 $4K → $2K
CENT 2011-898M Settlement Tureck 2011 $2K → $1K
CENT 2013-707M Settlement Lesnick 2014 $946 → $512
CENT20010055M Settlement Feldman 2001 $448 → $381
CENT 2013-655M Settlement Lesnick 2014 $300 → $300
CENT 2013-170M Withdrawal Lesnick 2013 $200 → $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: 2025-08-06
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
42
samples
16
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg24
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz10
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz8
Show the individual readings (42)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2025-08-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-11-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2022-11-03 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.26 10 0.03 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-11-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-11-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-09-16 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.26 10 0.03 Crusher Oper/Worker
2020-09-16 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.42 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-09-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2018-06-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2018-06-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2014-10-08 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.12 10 0.01 Crusher Oper/Worker
2014-10-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.27 2.14 0.13 Front-end Loader Operator
2014-10-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-10-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-10-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2012-10-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-04-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2012-04-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-04-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2010-12-08 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 1.32 0.10 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-12-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2010-12-08 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-07-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-07-21 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.14 10 0.01 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-07-21 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.19 10 0.02 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-06-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.2 1.26 0.16 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-06-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-06-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.98 0.13 Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-08-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.27 0.9 0.30 Front-end Loader Operator
2007-08-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.16 0.64 0.25 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-03-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.33 10 0.03 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-03-10 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 0.53 0.26 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-03-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-07-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-07-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2003-07-24 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 1.35 0.10 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-07-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Scale Man
2002-06-20 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.2 10 0.02 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-06-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2000-08-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2000-08-10 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.14 10 0.01 Front-end Loader Operator
2000-08-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 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
  1. Muenks Brothers Quarries Inc 1990 to 2008
  2. Higgins Quarry LLC 2008 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 10
2025 11
2024 10
2023 11
2022 14
2021 17
2020 12
2019 10
2018 6
2017 8
2016 8
2015 8
2014 8
2013 10
2012 9
2011 7
2010 8
2009 9
2008 7
2007 7
2006 5
2005 6
2004 8
2003 6
2002 6
2001 5
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Higgins Quarry, LLC sits in Osage County, Missouri, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Osage County, Missouri · Population 13,379
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$75,355
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 4,322 2 0 462.7
2026 Q1 3,672 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 4,097 1 0 244.1
2025 Q3 4,359 3 1 688.2
2025 Q2 4,112 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 3,362 1 0 297.4
2024 Q4 4,355 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 4,341 0 0 0.0
Show 97 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 4,439 3 1 675.8
2024 Q1 4,246 3 1 706.5
2023 Q4 4,387 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 4,474 1 0 223.5
2023 Q2 4,674 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 3,892 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 4,062 2 1 492.4
2022 Q3 4,593 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 4,016 5 1 1245.0
2022 Q1 3,524 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 4,870 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 4,465 2 0 447.9
2021 Q2 4,155 2 0 481.3
2021 Q1 3,614 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 3,398 5 1 1471.5
2020 Q3 3,648 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 2,534 10 1 3946.3
2020 Q1 2,057 4 1 1944.6
2019 Q4 2,659 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 2,392 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 2,363 3 1 1269.6
2019 Q1 1,826 3 0 1642.9
2018 Q4 1,724 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 2,072 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 2,024 2 1 988.1
2018 Q1 2,024 4 1 1976.3
2017 Q4 3,078 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 3,455 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 3,610 3 1 831.0
2017 Q1 3,193 3 1 939.6
2016 Q4 3,158 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 3,180 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 3,885 2 2 514.8
2016 Q1 2,435 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,438 2 1 1390.8
2015 Q3 2,764 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 3,013 4 2 1327.6
2015 Q1 2,792 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 3,367 2 0 594.0
2014 Q3 2,827 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 3,824 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 2,824 1 0 354.1
2013 Q4 3,667 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 3,191 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 3,313 4 2 1207.4
2013 Q1 3,188 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 3,023 1 1 330.8
2012 Q3 3,470 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 3,267 1 0 306.1
2012 Q1 3,075 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 2,794 2 1 715.8
2011 Q3 2,215 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 2,097 6 2 2861.2
2011 Q1 1,725 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 2,008 3 1 1494.0
2010 Q3 2,664 4 2 1501.5
2010 Q2 2,270 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 1,813 3 1 1654.7
2009 Q4 2,134 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 2,637 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 2,583 4 1 1548.6
2009 Q1 1,553 1 0 643.9
2008 Q4 2,214 1 0 451.7
2008 Q3 1,541 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 1,140 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 1,078 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 2,654 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 3,387 3 0 885.7
2007 Q2 1,392 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 1,032 4 1 3876.0
2006 Q4 1,340 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 1,990 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 1,796 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 1,484 2 0 1347.7
2005 Q4 1,709 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,810 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 1,899 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 3,111 5 3 1607.2
2004 Q4 2,025 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 2,752 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,782 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,941 1 0 515.2
2003 Q4 2,173 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 2,684 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,033 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 2,038 2 1 981.4
2002 Q3 2,335 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,395 2 0 835.1
2002 Q1 1,716 2 0 1165.5
2001 Q4 2,072 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,228 4 0 1795.3
2001 Q2 1,550 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 1,136 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,213 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 3,069 8 1 2606.7
2000 Q2 1,506 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,718 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2007 · 2 incidents

September 21, 2007 MO · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Muenks Brothers Quarries Inc · Fall from machine

Employee had grease and oil on his hands from working on another wheel loader. He cleaned his hands with a shop towl entered his wheel loader to help a driver. When exiting his loader one hand slipped off of the rail and spun his body around causing him to fall off of the ladder in which his hard hat fell off and he struck his head on a 55 gallon drum

July 30, 2007 MO · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Muenks Brothers Quarries Inc · Fall from machine

Operator was climbing steps onto wheel loader. When on the third step going onto the fourth the operator said he was not watching what he was doing and slipped and fell onto his back on the ground.

2004 · 1 incident

August 18, 2004 MO · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Muenks Brothers Quarries Inc · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE'S HAND SLIPPED OFF WRENCH WHILE TIGHTENING BOLTS. JAMMED 2 FINGERS OF HIS RIGHT HAND. EMPLOYEE REFUSED MEDICAL ATTENTION UNTIL WEEKS PASSED AND PAIN REMAINED. DR FOUND BONE BRUISE AND PUT THE HAND IN A CAST TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE FINGERS, MAKING THE INJURY REPORTABLE.