Mining Incidents

Rockdale Quarry: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Lafarge S A
Joliet, Will County, IL  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1102349

Rockdale Quarry has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $165 outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
16
Years on record
1988–2002
Latest incident
May 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
69
citations
17
significant & substantial
$6,470
proposed penalties
$5,659
paid to date
87% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $811 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
17
inspections on record
302
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: 302 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Rockdale Quarry has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $165 outstanding across 5 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.
$6K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$6K
paid to date
$165
outstanding
69 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-11-06.
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.
24.6%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
24.6%
reasonably likely or greater
56.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 11.6% low, 88.4% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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
LAKE20030004M Settlement Feldman 2003 $655 → $555
LAKE20030046M Settlement Zielinski 2003 $655 → $328
LAKE20030013M Settlement Barbour 2003 $399 → $299
LAKE20020108M Settlement Melick 2002 $254 → $135
LAKE20030067M Settlement Zielinski 2003 $165 → $165
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: 2002-07-23, 24 years ago
20%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
5
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz51 over
Show the individual readings (5)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2001-08-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1.9 1.1 1.73 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-07-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.42 1.75 0.24 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-07-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1.03 2.12 0.49 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-07-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1 1.29 0.78 Laborer, Bullgang
2001-08-14 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.48 0.58 0.83 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.

Rockdale Quarry recorded 5.08 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2002.

Injury rate, 2002
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.
5.08
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 4.17 and the all-US-mining average was 5.05 cases per 100 workers.
In Illinois, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 3.98 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
2002 * 5.08 0.00 0.000
2001 * 7.63 0.00 0.000
2000 * 2.89 2.89 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. Joliet Sand & Gravel Company 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2003 16
2002 35
2001 34
2000 29
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Rockdale Quarry sits in Will County, Illinois, 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.
Will County, Illinois · Population 698,450
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$107,799
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
2003 Q1 7,034 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 16,651 10 0 600.6
2002 Q3 23,267 18 3 773.6
2002 Q2 24,126 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 14,752 3 1 203.4
2001 Q4 19,627 1 1 51.0
2001 Q3 24,052 14 2 582.1
2001 Q2 21,917 0 0 0.0
Show 5 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2001 Q1 13,052 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 15,348 3 1 195.5
2000 Q3 20,588 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 21,488 15 8 698.1
2000 Q1 11,804 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
May 13, 1988 IL · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator Fatality · MACHINERY
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

BACKHOE BREAKER ARM STRUCK ONE EMPLOYEE AND CAUGHT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE BETWEEN THE EQUIPMENT AND FRAME. HYDRALIC HAMMER STANLEY 250 MB.

Reportable incidents

15 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2002 · 2 incidents

May 25, 2002 IL · Metal/Non-Metal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

MINER WENT TO DOCTOR ON 5-29-02 UNSTABLE BODY POSTURE WHILE HOLDING HOSE.

February 16, 2002 IL · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE PIECE OF WOOD ON WHICH THE PORTA POWER RAM WAS SITTING SLIPPED & HIT EE ON THE CHIN CAUSING A LACERATION.

2001 · 3 incidents

March 27, 2001 IL · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

ADJUSTING A CHAIN ON A DOOR, THE DOOR SLIPPED OUT OF HIS HAND. THE FINGER CAUGHT BETWEEN THE DOOR AND CHAIN.

2000 · 1 incident

April 7, 2000 IL · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator OTHER
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE REPORTED BACK PAIN. WENT TO DOCTOR. WASRETURNED TO WORK. WENT TO COMPANY DOCTOR IN MAY.FOUND RUPTURED DISC.

1996 · 3 incidents

October 3, 1996 IL · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Fall from machine

EE WAS CHECKIGN THE OIL ON THE CAT 773 AT THE END OF HIS SHIFT. HE SLIPPED OFF THE TRUCK AND FELL TO THE GROUND.

September 11, 1996 IL · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man OTHER
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN OFF WORK SINCE 9-11-96. ON 9-19-96 WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT HE WAS OFF WORK WITH A WORK-RELATED INJURY. HE HAS A BULGING DISC IN HIS NECK. IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW THIS INJURY OCCURR ED.

August 10, 1996 IL · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

WHILE BENDING OVER TO PICK UP SOME LIGHT WEIGHT METAL OBJECT, EE TWISTED BACK

1995 · 3 incidents

August 10, 1995 IL · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer STRIKING OR BUMPING
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Struck against stationary object

WHILE STEPPING INTO MACHINE EMP STRUCK HIS SHIN AGAINST THE FRONT OF THE MACHINE.

July 27, 1995 IL · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE WORKING ON A MACHINE, THE EMP REACHED AROUND FOR A WRENCH AND PULLED A MUSCLE IN HIS LOWERBACK.

April 4, 1995 IL · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE GRINDING STEEL THE STEEL SLIPPED OFF THE GRINDER AND EMPLOYEE CAUGHT THE TIP OF HIS LEFT THUMB IN GRINDER CUTTING THUMB.

1992 · 2 incidents

May 19, 1992 IL · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Fall from machine

DRIVER WAS ENTERING THE CAB OF THE TRUCK WHEN HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE CAT-WALK CAUSING HIKM TO FALL TO THE GROUND LANDING ON HIS TWO FEET THEN FALLING BACKWARD TO THE GROUND BUMPING THE REAR OF HIS HEAD.

1988 · 1 incident

May 13, 1988 IL · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator MACHINERY
Joliet Sand & Gravel Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

BACKHOE BREAKER ARM STRUCK ONE EMPL, 2ND CAUGHT ANOTHER EMPL BETWEEN EQUIPMENT & FRAME.