Mining Incidents
Search Operators Mines Alerts Research Controllers Fatalgrams About
English Español
← Back to search

Portage Operation: 170 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Carmeuse Holding SA
Portage, Porter County, IN  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1202117

Portage Operation has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $517 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Portage Operation.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
2004–2026
Latest incident
Mar 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
170
citations
40
significant & substantial
$36,320
proposed penalties
$35,417
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $903 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
63
inspections on record
1,100
inspection hours
15.5
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.
170 citations across 1,100 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Portage Operation has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $517 outstanding across 2 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.
$36K
proposed penalties
$36K
current assessed
$35K
paid to date
$517
outstanding
169 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $682 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-10.
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.
23.5%
significant & substantial
1.8%
high negligence or reckless
23.5%
reasonably likely or greater
33.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 13.5% low, 84.7% moderate, 1.8% 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.
6 citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
  • Settled 5 · 83%
  • Stood as issued 1 · 17%
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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
36%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $682 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 2012-03-21.
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 2012-366M Settlement Miller 2012 $956 → $570
LAKE 2012-478M Dismissal Miller 2013 $112 → $112
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: 2022-10-25, 3 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
27
samples
20
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz12
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg7
  • Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz6
  • Calcium oxide2
Show the individual readings (27)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2022-10-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2022-10-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-02-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2021-02-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2016-11-22 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.39 10 0.04 Lab Technician
2016-11-22 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.21 10 0.02 Laborer, Bullgang
2016-11-22 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2013-01-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2013-01-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2013-01-23 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.51 10 0.05 Crusher Oper/Worker
2011-01-19 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.32 10 0.03 Utility Man
2011-01-19 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 1 10 0.10 Utility Man
2011-01-19 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.45 10 0.05 Front-end Loader Operator
2008-04-02 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 1.74 10 0.17 Building Repair/Maint.
2008-04-02 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.32 10 0.03 Front-end Loader Operator
2008-04-02 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 1.76 10 0.18 Flotation/Concentrator Oper.
2006-06-07 Calcium oxide 0.42 5 0.08 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2006-06-07 Calcium oxide 1.09 5 0.22 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-06-01 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 0.57 10 0.06 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-06-01 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 1.86 10 0.19 Utility Man
2004-12-01 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 2.41 10 0.24 Kiln/Dryer Operator
2004-12-01 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 6.84 10 0.68 Building Repair/Maint.
2003-12-17 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.77 10 0.08 Crusher Oper/Worker
2003-12-17 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.56 10 0.06 Crusher Oper/Worker
2003-12-17 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.24 10 0.02 Laborer, Bullgang
2002-03-26 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 1.06 10 0.11 Hammer Mill Operator
2002-03-26 Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz 0.55 10 0.06 Hammer Mill 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.

Portage Operation 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 Indiana, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.61 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 * 0.00 0.00 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. J M Huber Corp 1992 to 2000
  2. O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC 2000 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 15
2025 14
2024 14
2023 14
2022 14
2021 13
2020 13
2019 15
2018 15
2017 16
2016 16
2015 16
2014 15
2013 16
2012 16
2011 16
2010 15
2009 15
2008 16
2007 16
2006 16
2005 15
2004 11
2003 10
2002 13
2001 14
2000 14
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Portage Operation sits in Porter County, Indiana, 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.
Porter County, Indiana · Population 174,150
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$85,828
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 7,222 1 0 138.5
2026 Q1 7,041 2 0 284.1
2025 Q4 6,716 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 6,577 1 0 152.0
2025 Q2 7,124 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 6,553 4 3 610.4
2024 Q4 6,704 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 7,096 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 7,185 3 0 417.5
2024 Q1 7,736 1 0 129.3
2023 Q4 7,209 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 7,475 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 7,474 6 1 802.8
2023 Q1 7,014 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 6,973 2 1 286.8
2022 Q3 6,909 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 9,587 2 0 208.6
2022 Q1 7,162 2 0 279.3
2021 Q4 6,561 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 6,192 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 5,223 2 0 382.9
2021 Q1 5,773 2 0 346.4
2020 Q4 6,494 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 6,876 1 0 145.4
2020 Q2 5,396 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 7,620 5 1 656.2
2019 Q4 8,105 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 7,844 1 0 127.5
2019 Q2 7,709 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 7,655 2 0 261.3
2018 Q4 7,744 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 7,843 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 7,591 5 0 658.7
2018 Q1 8,190 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 7,921 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 8,628 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 9,016 4 2 443.7
2017 Q1 8,756 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 8,221 3 1 364.9
2016 Q3 8,240 1 0 121.4
2016 Q2 8,007 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 7,717 1 0 129.6
2015 Q4 8,495 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 8,173 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 8,526 3 0 351.9
2015 Q1 8,491 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 8,207 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 2,956 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 8,041 1 0 124.4
2014 Q1 8,544 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 8,332 2 0 240.0
2013 Q3 8,145 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 8,411 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 8,035 2 0 248.9
2012 Q4 7,657 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 7,803 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 8,022 6 0 747.9
2012 Q1 8,400 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 7,488 9 2 1201.9
2011 Q3 7,856 2 0 254.6
2011 Q2 8,059 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 7,835 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 7,203 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 7,028 3 0 426.9
2010 Q2 7,388 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 7,551 13 6 1721.6
2009 Q4 7,556 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 7,021 10 5 1424.3
2009 Q2 7,841 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 7,415 5 0 674.3
2008 Q4 7,248 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 7,735 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 8,351 1 0 119.7
2008 Q1 8,519 3 0 352.2
2007 Q4 7,955 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 8,389 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 8,132 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 7,447 7 0 940.0
2006 Q4 6,128 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 6,873 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 5,513 7 2 1269.7
2006 Q1 7,241 9 3 1242.9
2005 Q4 7,054 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 6,289 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 7,213 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 1,698 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 5,681 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 5,760 4 1 694.4
2004 Q2 5,681 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 5,589 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 5,936 3 2 505.4
2003 Q3 5,262 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 5,410 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 5,883 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 5,618 4 3 712.0
2002 Q3 6,677 4 1 599.1
2002 Q2 7,243 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 8,109 1 0 123.3
2001 Q4 7,148 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 7,635 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 7,309 2 0 273.6
2001 Q1 6,739 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 8,642 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 8,052 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 8,024 2 1 249.3
2000 Q1 6,815 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

12 on file

2026 · 1 incident

March 17, 2026 IN · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee was descending a 6' ladder. When EE stepped on the ground, EE's knee gave out and EE fell to the ground. Incident occurred on 3/17 but did not become reportable until 4/21 when employee was given a brace and PT was ordered.

2024 · 1 incident

April 10, 2024 IN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Installing conveyor. Pinched right ring finger between conveyor and another metal piece. Laceration of tip of right ring finger.

2016 · 3 incidents

December 8, 2016 IN · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was helping remove ceiling tiles in bathroom. At break time, employee removed ppe and sweatshirt when something entered eye.

October 28, 2016 IN · Metal/Non-Metal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor HANDLING OF MATERIALS
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Injured was rotating driven pulley by hand in order to distribute lubricant when EE's finger became pinched between the rpm sensor and the rpm pickup point.

June 1, 2016 IN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Struck by flying object

Injured had just finished using a die grinder when EE felt foreign material in left eye.

2015 · 1 incident

October 25, 2015 IN · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator POWERED HAULAGE
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Struck by falling object

Injured was cleaning with a skid steer when a piece of material fell causing small debris to enter his eye.

2014 · 1 incident

February 15, 2014 IN · Metal/Non-Metal building repair man, maintenance OTHER
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Struck by flying object

Injured was changing a bearing on a bucket elevator when wind blew metal dust into his eyes.

2012 · 1 incident

November 13, 2012 IN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Injured was installing sensor system in building. He was turning a conduit body onto the base of a red warning light and heard a pop in his right hand.

2009 · 1 incident

November 13, 2009 IN · Metal/Non-Metal electrician helper ELECTRICAL
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Flash burns (electric)

Terminating cables on load side of de-energized breaker, cable made contact with energized bus detail on breaker located directly above, causing arc flash and burning ee hands.

2005 · 1 incident

July 7, 2005 IN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

While chipping the welds on a steel fabrication, a metal particle must have gotten around the safety glasses and into his eye. Employee did not have any issues with his eye until he woke up the next morning. Injury was determined to be MSHA reportable because the doctor prescribed medicated eye drops.

2004 · 2 incidents

October 13, 2004 IN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Injured employee accidently turned on portable grinder and his left thumb came in contact with the turning grinding disc.

January 13, 2004 IN · Metal/Non-Metal NONPOWERED HAULAGE
O-N Minerals Portage Company LLC · NONPOWERED HAULAGE

THE INJURED EE WAS EMPTYING THE WHEEL BARROW OF FROZEN LIMESTONE FINES. AS HE WAS EMPTYING THE WHEEL BARROW, MATERIAL WAS FROZEN TO THE WHEEL BARROW CAUSING THE WHEEL BARROW TO ROTATE BACK AND STRIKE HIS LEFT THUMB.