Mining Incidents

PLANT 7: 256 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Rawson Materials · Surface
Westerly, Washington County, RI  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 3700183

PLANT 7 has $103K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at PLANT 7.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
14
Years on record
1995–2026
Latest incident
Feb 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
256
citations
60
significant & substantial
$102,699
proposed penalties
$93,004
paid to date
91% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $9,695 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
74
inspections on record
1,460
inspection hours
17.5
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.
256 citations across 1,460 inspection hours.
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.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2012-09-19.
On record since 2012.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

PLANT 7 has $103K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$103K
proposed penalties
$93K
current assessed
$93K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
249 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $34K in penalties contested before the Commission, $24K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-04-30.
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.
23.7%
significant & substantial
7.5%
high negligence or reckless
24.5%
reasonably likely or greater
52.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 34.8% low, 57.7% moderate, 7.5% 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.
34 citations taken to the federal commission · 13% of citations on record
  • Settled 32 · 94%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 2 · 6%
50%
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 12 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$34K proposed, $24K 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 2015-08-06.
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
YORK 2014-0167 Settlement Gill 2014 $13K → $6K
YORK 2014-0188 Settlement Gill 2014 $9K → $9K
YORK 2009-206M Settlement Koutras 2011 $8K → $6K
YORK 2015-0114 Settlement Barbour 2015 $2K → $1K
YORK 2015-0128 Settlement Barbour 2016 $2K → $2K
YORK 2011-22M Settlement Koutras 2011 $150 → $100
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: 2025-04-29
20%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
20
samples
10
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz112 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg9
Show the individual readings (20)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2008-09-24 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.48 0.48 1.00 Cleanup Man
2007-12-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 3.43 0.98 3.50 Drill Operator, Rotary
2025-04-29 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2020-07-16 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.45 Truck Driver
2020-07-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2020-07-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2020-02-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-01-09 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2015-05-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2015-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.12 0.84 0.14 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 0.53 0.26 Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.18 0.48 0.38 Utility Man
2015-05-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2008-09-24 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.39 0.89 0.44 Crusher Oper/Worker
2008-02-27 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.95 1.82 0.52 Shovel Operator
2008-02-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Backhoe Operator
2007-06-07 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.26 0.8 0.33 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-01-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.38 0.87 0.44 Laborer, Bullgang
2005-01-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.25 0.65 0.38 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-01-05 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.

PLANT 7 recorded 16.37 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.
16.37
total case rate
16.37
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above 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 Rhode Island, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.53 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
2025 * 16.37 16.37 0.000
2024 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2021 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2020 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 0.00 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. Cherenzia Excavation Inc 1990 to 2018
  2. Rawson Materials 2018 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 13
2025 12
2024 13
2023 9
2022 12
2021 13
2020 14
2019 13
2018 8
2017 23
2016 23
2015 22
2014 17
2013 19
2012 17
2011 18
2010 17
2009 18
2008 21
2007 14
2006 17
2005 7
2004 9
2003 9
2002 8
2001 10
2000 10
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

PLANT 7 sits in Washington County, Rhode Island, 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.
Washington County, Rhode Island · Population 130,073
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$102,478
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 7,637 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 6,165 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 6,029 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 6,625 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 6,436 6 2 932.3
2025 Q1 5,348 1 1 187.0
2024 Q4 6,234 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 7,392 3 1 405.8
Show 97 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 6,706 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 6,132 1 0 163.1
2023 Q4 5,896 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 6,598 1 0 151.6
2023 Q2 5,627 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 5,850 3 0 512.8
2022 Q4 7,470 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 8,213 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 6,785 6 0 884.3
2022 Q1 5,457 5 2 916.3
2021 Q4 8,006 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 8,855 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 8,239 7 0 849.6
2021 Q1 6,814 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 7,157 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 9,736 2 0 205.4
2020 Q2 9,979 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 6,951 3 1 431.6
2019 Q4 8,269 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 8,233 13 0 1579.0
2019 Q2 9,329 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 6,419 1 0 155.8
2018 Q4 5,622 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 6,753 2 1 296.2
2018 Q2 7,360 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 1,808 1 0 553.1
2017 Q4 7,849 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 9,695 3 1 309.4
2017 Q2 12,788 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 8,065 5 1 620.0
2016 Q4 10,706 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 14,334 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 11,492 2 0 174.0
2016 Q1 8,896 1 0 112.4
2015 Q4 12,137 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 11,932 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 12,185 6 2 492.4
2015 Q1 9,031 5 2 553.6
2014 Q4 10,163 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 9,617 1 0 104.0
2014 Q1 7,299 13 4 1781.1
2013 Q4 10,061 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 9,907 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 12,102 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 6,487 5 0 770.8
2012 Q4 9,414 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 7,419 22 8 2965.4
2012 Q2 9,367 1 0 106.8
2012 Q1 6,764 4 1 591.4
2011 Q4 9,779 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 9,965 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 10,319 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 7,191 9 3 1251.6
2010 Q4 8,714 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 6,366 8 4 1256.7
2010 Q2 9,360 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 2,577 3 0 1164.1
2009 Q4 8,898 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 10,213 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 8,980 10 0 1113.6
2009 Q1 3,520 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 8,507 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 10,648 11 3 1033.1
2008 Q2 12,284 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 10,652 5 1 469.4
2007 Q4 12,333 6 1 486.5
2007 Q3 12,785 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 12,273 6 1 488.9
2007 Q1 7,589 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 10,928 9 2 823.6
2006 Q3 10,648 1 0 93.9
2006 Q2 11,489 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 7,649 6 0 784.4
2005 Q4 3,170 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 3,234 2 0 618.4
2005 Q2 3,151 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 2,655 1 0 376.6
2004 Q4 3,268 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 3,335 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 4,046 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 2,722 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 3,343 3 2 897.4
2003 Q3 3,056 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 3,897 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,180 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 1,742 4 1 2296.2
2002 Q3 2,314 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,721 2 2 735.0
2002 Q1 2,671 5 0 1872.0
2001 Q4 2,549 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,569 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 3,207 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 2,907 5 2 1720.0
2000 Q4 4,185 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 4,680 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 4,374 11 3 2514.9
2000 Q1 3,462 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

14 on file

2026 · 1 incident

February 10, 2026 RI · Metal/Non-Metal miner, prospector, nec SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Rawson Materials · Fall onto or against objects

Tripped over a hose causing miner to fall on pallet of conveyor rollers hitting their ribs and forehead inside the stone building adjacent to the maintenance building.

2025 · 2 incidents

August 15, 2025 RI · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rawson Materials · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Shoveling gravel while back filing and the twisting motion caused EE's back to pop.

February 20, 2025 RI · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rawson Materials · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Miner was placing scrap in recently emptied dumpster while wearing hand protection when EE smashed their right thumb. EE's fingernail became loose and EE's thumb looked split.

2018 · 2 incidents

May 23, 2018 RI · Metal/Non-Metal clerk, timekeeper, office worker, director of sales EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Rawson Materials · Struck by flying object

Blasted rock was ejected from the blast. 3 buildings and 8 vehicles were hit. Another vehicle with 2 occupants was also hit. They were taken to hospital. injured #1 was released that day. The other was released the next day.

May 23, 2018 RI · Metal/Non-Metal clerk, timekeeper, office worker, director of sales EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Rawson Materials · Struck by flying object

Blasted rock was ejected from the blast. 3 buildings and 8 vehicles were hit. Another vehicle with 2 occupants was also hit. They were taken to hospital. injured #1 was released that day. The Injured #2 was released the next day.

2016 · 1 incident

August 29, 2016 RI · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a loader and was jostled around - resulting in a groin strain,

2015 · 1 incident

March 31, 2015 RI · Metal/Non-Metal assistant mine foreman, assistant mine manager OTHER
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee had a confrontation with another employee. At this time the injured employee was shoved to the ground by the other person causing him to land on right shoulder.

2009 · 1 incident

October 28, 2009 RI · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was cutting tie wrap with a utility knife (box cutter), when knife slipped an dcut palm of left hand.

2008 · 2 incidents

September 11, 2008 RI · Metal/Non-Metal miner, prospector, nec OTHER
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Unidentified man found hanging in a tree (apparent suicide).

July 7, 2008 RI · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

Employee was pushing a steel plate into place when he felt a pop in his left wrist.

1999 · 2 incidents

February 22, 1999 RI · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS SHOVELING MATERIAL UNDER A CONVEYOR BELT WHEN HE FELT HIS BACK KNOT UP

January 30, 1999 RI · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE EE WAS ADJUSTING A BELT ON THE ROCK CRUSHER HE STEPPED ON RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOTTOM RUNG ON LADDER, CAUSING IT TO STRIKE HIM IN THE MOUTHKNOCKING OUT 2 TEETH

1997 · 1 incident

May 21, 1997 RI · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor POWERED HAULAGE
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

VICTIM WAS WORKING LOWER LEVEL OF YARD- FABRICATING. HE LEFT WORK AREA AND STARTED UP EMBANKMENT. LOADER STARTED DOWN EMBANKMENT. VICTIM WAS STRUCK BY LOADER BUCKET, FORCED BACK AND/OR SPUN AN D FELL TO GROUND. VICTIM'S RIGHT ARM FROM ELBOW DOWN WAS THEN RUN OVER BY LOADER.

1995 · 1 incident

July 29, 1995 RI · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Cherenzia Excavation Inc · Fall onto or against objects

ROCK LODGED UNDER NUMBER 2 BELT AFTER FALLING FROM NUMBER ONE BELT. SYSTEM WAS SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. EE CLIMBED ONTO BELT NUMBER TWO ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE ROCK. HE SLIPPED & FELL BACKWARDS ONCE ON BELT SURFACE.