Salado USA has $244K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 8 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Salado USA.
Fatalities
1
Total incidents
30
Years on record
2002–2025
Latest incident
Jan 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
299
citations
56
significant & substantial
$244,124
proposed penalties
$190,888
paid to date
78% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $53,236 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
78
inspections on record
1,238
inspection hours
24.1
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.
299 citations across 1,238 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Salado USA has $244K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 8 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.
$244K
proposed penalties
$191K
current assessed
$191K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
296 assessments are final orders; 8 contested dockets.
Of $156K in penalties contested before the Commission, $103K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-19.
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.
67citations taken to the federal commission · 22% of citations on record
Settled
67 · 100%
91%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 23 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$156K proposed, $102K 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 2024-11-13.
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: 2025-03-19
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
14
samples
8
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz7
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Respirable dust, <.1mg1
Show the individual readings (14)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2025-03-19
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.73
10
0.07
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2025-03-19
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.17
10
0.12
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2025-03-19
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.39
Bobcat Operator
2025-03-19
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.89
10
0.09
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2019-10-10
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.23
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2019-10-10
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.2
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2019-07-17
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.42
10
0.04
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2019-07-17
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.14
10
0.01
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2017-09-13
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.56
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2017-09-13
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.65
1.68
0.39
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2017-09-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2017-09-13
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.86
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2010-01-05
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.77
10
0.08
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2010-01-05
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.25
10
0.03
Stone Polisher/Cutter
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.
Salado USA recorded 1.55 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.
1.55
total case rate
1.55
days-away rate
1.555
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 Texas, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.17 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
1.55
1.55
1.555
2024
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022
1.77
0.88
0.000
2021
1.92
1.92
0.000
2020
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019
1.99
0.99
0.000
2018
5.01
2.00
0.000
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
42
2025
57
2024
76
2023
70
2022
89
2021
85
2020
82
2019
85
2018
76
2017
88
2016
87
2015
76
2014
92
2013
70
2012
60
2011
48
2010
51
2009
48
2008
50
2007
72
2006
39
2005
32
2004
28
2003
26
2002
27
2001
26
2000
20
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Salado USA sits in Williamson County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 0.3% 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.
Williamson County, Texas · Population 643,889
0.3%
Mining share of county employment
$108,309
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
25,136
4
0
159.1
2025 Q4
21,397
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
29,308
5
1
170.6
2025 Q2
36,816
1
1
27.2
2025 Q1
41,093
30
1
730.1
2024 Q4
43,524
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
45,438
17
8
374.1
2024 Q2
44,340
0
0
0.0
Show 93 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q1
46,908
44
12
938.0
2023 Q4
48,099
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
41,260
7
0
169.7
2023 Q2
41,365
9
1
217.6
2023 Q1
47,920
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
47,938
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
52,514
4
0
76.2
2022 Q2
64,389
10
0
155.3
2022 Q1
61,476
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
58,636
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
47,506
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
51,823
11
4
212.3
2021 Q1
49,955
3
2
60.1
2020 Q4
52,329
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
49,011
3
0
61.2
2020 Q2
48,002
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
52,126
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
53,747
8
2
148.8
2019 Q3
46,860
11
1
234.7
2019 Q2
50,439
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
50,439
4
1
79.3
2018 Q4
49,154
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
60,759
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
44,908
5
0
111.3
2018 Q1
44,906
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
42,428
2
0
47.1
2017 Q3
40,995
9
1
219.5
2017 Q2
51,278
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
55,859
3
1
53.7
2016 Q4
56,521
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
53,701
7
1
130.4
2016 Q2
53,486
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
43,629
3
0
68.8
2015 Q4
43,832
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
49,874
3
0
60.2
2015 Q2
49,516
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
40,100
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
46,685
8
1
171.4
2014 Q3
58,407
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
50,367
7
3
139.0
2014 Q1
44,690
10
7
223.8
2013 Q4
35,916
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
43,448
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
32,974
4
0
121.3
2013 Q1
36,882
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
37,295
2
0
53.6
2012 Q3
43,196
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
38,397
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
30,050
7
0
232.9
2011 Q4
18,908
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
30,947
1
0
32.3
2011 Q1
3,050
3
1
983.6
2010 Q4
20,198
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
21,920
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
26,180
4
0
152.8
2010 Q1
18,478
5
1
270.6
2009 Q4
20,792
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
24,255
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
23,766
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
20,883
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
27,067
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
32,475
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
28,784
1
0
34.7
2008 Q1
25,430
4
0
157.3
2007 Q4
26,101
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
32,672
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
30,045
1
1
33.3
2007 Q1
27,942
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
25,803
1
0
38.8
2006 Q3
19,778
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
19,471
1
0
51.4
2006 Q1
17,654
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
17,220
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
17,385
2
0
115.0
2005 Q2
16,737
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
16,680
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
15,980
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
15,980
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
13,000
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
16,200
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
12,000
2
0
166.7
2003 Q3
1,300
2
0
1538.5
2003 Q2
3,000
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
4,000
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
1,200
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
4,608
2
1
434.0
2002 Q2
5,000
3
2
600.0
2002 Q1
1,296
1
0
771.6
2001 Q4
1,200
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
1,344
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
16,800
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
3,300
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
12,480
0
0
0.0
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
January 30, 2025TX · Metal/Non-Metalstone finishing and sizing personnel, stone/rock cut/polish/saw operator, splitter, cutter, trimmerFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Salado Operations · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee in the thin veneer area was crushed by a pallet of stone that was placed on them by another employee in a wheel loader.
Reportable incidents
29 on file (excluding fatalities above)
2022 · 2 incidents
September 23, 2022TX · Metal/Non-Metalstone finishing and sizing personnel, stone/rock cut/polish/saw operator, splitter, cutter, trimmerMACHINERY
Salado Operations · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was loosening mechanism that lowers saw on veneer saw. device failed and lowered quickly causing employees hand to become pinched. as a result the employee got a laceration on EE's left hand that require stitches.
June 2, 2022TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
pushing trash on the discharge ramp, EE was pushing by hand and another rock fell on hand. Crushed left thumb.
2019 · 2 incidents
December 6, 2019TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Salado Operations · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was working behind the chopper stacking rock on pallets. While stacking rock on pallets a stone slipped out of their hands. While trying to catch the stone after it slipped out of their hands they pinched finger between the stone that slipped out of their hands and a stone that was on the pallet.
The injured employee was palatalizing rocks when another employee dropped a rock on the injured employee's foot behind the steel toe portion of the boot.
May 18, 2018TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was chipping rock and missed with the hammer, resulting in an injury to index finger.
2017 · 3 incidents
September 19, 2017TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Salado Operations · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
EE was loading the table in the jag shop with slabs of rock. There were two slabs on the table, the top one was not setting flat. EE then picked up the top slab with a rock bar to get the small rocks out from under it. The rock bar slipped off crushing two fingers under the slab on EE's left hand.
May 17, 2017TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Salado Operations · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was taking rock off of a conveyor belt to place in a metal box. While grabbing one rock another rock came off at the same time landing on employee's left index finger.
March 10, 2017TX · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorMACHINERY
Salado Operations · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects
The employee was talking to a mechanic about a problem with the skid loader. Mechanic was finishing up the repair and heard a noise. The employee went to the west side of the wet saw placed left hand on the gantry travel rail resulting in hand being run over by the gantry travel gear.
2016 · 4 incidents
October 10, 2016TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
worker was removing rock from a conveyor to place on a pallet. Another worker working across from IE was doing the same. one reached to grab a rock the other was going to break a rock and make smaller with a hammer. They both went for the same rock the EE with the hammer struck the left hand middle finger causing a smashed tip of finger.
September 1, 2016TX · Metal/Non-Metaloutside foreman, leadmanMACHINERY
The worker operating the 321e wheel loader noticed that the cobra wet saw was traveling along the gantry wall before the blade had exited the rock. The worker went to hit the E stop to stop the saw, before worker could get there the blade broke into 3 pieces and separated the shroud from the saw sending it over the gantry wall striking the operator.
The incident happened in the dimensional cut shop. The worker was using a wet polisher to finish a slab. When done EE would take slab and stack it on edge on a pallet. The slabs shifted and several fell over landing on top of the worker's left foot. EE did have safety boots on.
2015 · 4 incidents
July 27, 2015TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EMPLOYEE WAS PUTTING WIRE MESH ON A PALLET USING A STAPLE GUN ONE STAPLE WENT THROUGH THE WOOD INTO HIS FINGER.EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN TRAINED USING THIS TOOL.
May 4, 2015TX · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The miner was working at a wet saw. He had a rock in his hand that weighed about 12 to 15 pounds. He then struck the rock with a 3-pound hammer. The rock split in half. One piece stayed in his hand ad the other hit miner on his right knee.
January 7, 2015TX · Metal/Non-Metalstone finishing and sizing personnel, stone/rock cut/polish/saw operator, splitter, cutter, trimmerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON