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Highway 53: 82 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Blair, Trempealeau County, WI  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4703717

Highway 53 has $14K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
7
Years on record
2015–2023
Latest incident
Jul 2023
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2015
82
citations
13
significant & substantial
$14,149
proposed penalties
$10,346
paid to date
73% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,803 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Sand Products, WI, LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2015
29
inspections on record
740
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: 740 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Highway 53 has $14K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 1 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.
$14K
proposed penalties
$14K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
82 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $319 in penalties contested before the Commission, $319 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-05.
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.
15.9%
significant & substantial
2.4%
high negligence or reckless
15.9%
reasonably likely or greater
42.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 46.3% low, 51.2% moderate, 2.4% 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.
1 citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 100%
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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$319 proposed, $319 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 2019-03-05.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
LAKE 2019-0180 Prevail Rae 2019 $319 → $319
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: 2025-12-10
7%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
27
samples
14
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz161 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg10
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (27)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2024-02-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1.39 0.94 1.48 Cleanup Man
2025-12-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Kiln/Dryer Operator
2025-12-10 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.2 0.41 0.49 Utility Man
2025-12-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-12-10 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Track Man/Gang
2025-01-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.28 0.45 0.62 Kiln/Dryer Operator
2025-01-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Complete Load-Haul-Dump
2025-01-23 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.42 Utility Man
2024-10-22 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.17 Front-end Loader Operator
2024-04-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.2 0.35 0.57 Cleanup Man
2024-02-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 0.49 0.29 Kiln/Dryer Operator
2024-02-15 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Sampler, Dust
2023-01-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.18 0.43 0.42 Lab Technician
2023-01-11 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.19 0.56 0.34 Kiln/Dryer Operator
2022-04-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-04-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2020-12-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.15 0.53 0.28 Lab Technician
2020-12-15 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.39 0.44 0.89 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2018-10-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2018-10-24 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.63 0.7 0.90 Utility Man
2018-10-24 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 Lab Technician
2018-10-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dump Operator
2018-01-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.27 0.86 0.31 Utility Man
2018-01-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 0.84 0.26 Kiln/Dryer Operator
2018-01-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2018-01-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.27 0.51 0.53 Utility Man
2018-01-09 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.38 0.69 0.55 Lab Technician
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.

Highway 53 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
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 Wisconsin, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.80 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year total case rate days-away fatal
2025 0.00 0.00 0.000
2024 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 * 4.27 0.00 0.000
2022 * 2.48 0.00 0.000
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 3.55 0.00 0.000
2019 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 1.16 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. Sand Products, WI, LLC 2014 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 59
2025 61
2024 64
2023 53
2022 37
2021 31
2020 32
2019 54
2018 85
2017 52
2016 2
2015 2
2014 1
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Highway 53 sits in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, where the Census mining category is 0.7% 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.
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin · Population 30,786
0.7%
Mining share of county employment
$71,295
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 25,880 17 3 656.9
2026 Q1 24,749 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 27,067 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 26,394 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 24,479 9 1 367.7
2025 Q1 25,585 3 1 117.3
2024 Q4 25,953 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 27,145 0 0 0.0
Show 40 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 27,288 5 1 183.2
2024 Q1 28,887 3 0 103.9
2023 Q4 25,989 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 23,702 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 22,372 5 0 223.5
2023 Q1 21,550 2 0 92.8
2022 Q4 21,384 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 19,899 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 17,480 1 0 57.2
2022 Q1 21,881 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 14,623 2 0 136.8
2021 Q3 15,890 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 18,282 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 15,392 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 15,099 5 1 331.1
2020 Q3 15,120 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,093 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 25,062 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 21,109 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 27,762 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 32,508 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 29,550 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 36,508 4 0 109.6
2018 Q3 43,483 2 0 46.0
2018 Q2 49,178 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 43,276 5 1 115.5
2017 Q4 46,588 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 43,449 3 2 69.0
2017 Q2 10,578 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 1,017 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 927 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 1,017 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 1,057 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 210 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 604 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 474 3 0 6329.1
2015 Q2 58 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 77 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 32 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 17 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

7 on file

2023 · 2 incidents

July 21, 2023 WI · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Injured employee was disassembling a gear box when the injured employee pinched a finger between the housing and bolt causing a puncture to the finger. Right hand - fifth digit.

June 20, 2023 WI · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee stated was reaching for tool when EE pinched finger between aerial lift and stationary framework.

2022 · 1 incident

March 1, 2022 WI · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech POWERED HAULAGE
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Struck by falling object

Miner walked on the opposite side of a feed hopper/crusher from where a loader operator was working. Miner thought EE had enough time to get by before any material movement. A combination of sand and rock went over striking the miner in the right shoulder area causing a contusion.

2020 · 1 incident

August 27, 2020 WI · Metal/Non-Metal quality control technician, laboratory technician, laboratory assistant HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Fall from ladders

working on a 3 step ladder was attempting to tighten a bolt. Wrench slipped off the bolt forcing the IP to fall off the 3 step ladder landing on right side and elbow causing a cut to the elbow.

2018 · 1 incident

February 12, 2018 WI · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Struck against stationary object

Employee was loosening a jam nut on a Rotex arm when the jam nut unexpectedly broke free causing the employees hand to slam forward into the rotex arm.

2017 · 1 incident

August 10, 2017 WI · Metal/Non-Metal miner, prospector, nec HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Struck by falling object

Miner was working on pulling a bearing off of a shaft. EE was inching it out to allow enough space to place a strap on, but the grease on the shaft caused the cover plate and bearing to slip off and fall. The bearing and cover plate landed on the top right of miners foot.

2015 · 1 incident

July 21, 2015 WI · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Sand Products, WI, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

The independent contractor's employee was lowering a jack to reposition it. While lowering the jack he pinched his little finger on his left hand between the jack and a 2" x 4" piece of wood.