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: 563 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Rip Rap Plant has $11K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$11K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$11K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
26 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $270 in penalties contested before the Commission, $270 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2023-12-18.
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.
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.
2citations taken to the federal commission · 7% of citations on record
Stood as issued
2 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$270 proposed, $270 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2005-02-16.
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.
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: 2023-12-19
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
18
samples
11
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz6
Respirable dust, <.1mg6
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (18)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2023-12-19
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.27
10
0.03
Front-end Loader Operator
2023-12-19
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2022-10-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Drill Operator, Rotary
2020-11-04
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.75
10
0.08
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-11-04
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.61
10
0.06
Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2019-10-23
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.31
Front-end Loader Operator
2019-10-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2016-09-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2016-09-29
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.27
10
0.03
Front-end Loader Operator
2012-03-27
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.13
10
0.01
Front-end Loader Operator
2012-03-27
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2012-03-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.19
1.29
0.15
Truck Driver
2010-10-14
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2010-10-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.19
0.93
0.20
Truck Driver
2010-10-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.51
1.12
0.46
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-10-26
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.13
10
0.01
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-10-26
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.16
1.28
0.13
Truck Driver
2004-10-26
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.2
1.77
0.11
Laborer, Bullgang
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
4
2025
3
2024
3
2023
3
2022
6
2021
6
2020
3
2019
8
2018
6
2017
7
2016
7
2015
8
2014
10
2013
11
2012
4
2011
4
2010
4
2009
6
2008
6
2007
4
2006
3
2005
4
2004
6
2003
8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Rip Rap Plant sits in Van Buren County, Iowa, 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.
Van Buren County, Iowa · Population 7,236
0.2%
Mining share of county employment
$60,183
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
WHILE TAKING A LOAD OF FINES TO THE STOCK PILE, EMPLOYEE WAS RETURNING TO THE PIT AREA (WITH A LOADED TRUCK). WHILE ROUNDING A CURVE IN THE HAUL ROAD, EMPLOYEE WENT THROUGH A BERM CAUSING THE TRUCK TO ROLL. EMPLOYEE WAS CRUSHED BY THE TRUCK HE WAS DRIVING.
WEATHER WAS COOL & SUNNY. SETTING UP PLANT FOR PRODUCTION WHILE BACKING IN A DOLEY. AFTER MISSING THE KING PIN, EMPLOYEE REACHED IN TO RESET THE LATCH ON THE HEAD PLATE. BEFORE THE LATCH WAS S ET, THE PLANT SLIPPED & PINCHED EMPLOYEE'S RIGHT THUMB BETWEEN PLANT & HEAD PLATE.