Spicewood Quarry has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $224 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2003–2020
Latest incident
Dec 2020
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
52
citations
13
significant & substantial
$6,905
proposed penalties
$6,505
paid to date
94% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $400 gap.
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: 866 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Spicewood Quarry has $7K in proposed MSHA penalties and $224 outstanding across 3 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.
$7K
proposed penalties
$7K
current assessed
$7K
paid to date
$224
outstanding
50 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $818 in penalties contested before the Commission, $642 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-10.
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.
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.
7citations taken to the federal commission · 13% of citations on record
Settled
6 · 86%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 14%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
22%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$818 proposed, $642 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 2018-12-26.
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: 2025-02-26
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
26
samples
9
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz14
Respirable dust, <.1mg10
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (26)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2025-02-26
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.23
Utility Man
2025-02-26
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.44
1.16
0.38
Utility Man
2025-02-26
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2021-04-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2021-04-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.21
Mechanic
2021-04-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
Truck Driver
2018-08-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.13
Utility Man
2018-08-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2018-08-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.04
Utility Man
2018-08-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.42
Utility Man
2013-04-17
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mechanic
2009-04-21
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.14
10
0.01
Utility Man
2009-04-21
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.23
1.62
0.14
Utility Man
2009-04-21
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.81
2.42
0.33
Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-05-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-05-23
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.32
1.24
0.26
Utility Man
2007-05-23
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.71
1.55
0.46
Utility Man
2004-10-27
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2004-10-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.36
2.29
0.16
Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-10-27
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.14
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-10-27
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-10-27
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.18
1.51
0.12
Laborer, Bullgang
2000-10-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2000-10-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2000-10-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2000-10-31
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.14
0.89
0.16
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.
Spicewood Quarry 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
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.
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 *
4.93
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
12
2025
21
2024
22
2023
20
2022
19
2021
17
2020
17
2019
18
2018
17
2017
19
2016
17
2015
14
2014
13
2013
11
2012
10
2011
11
2010
11
2009
14
2008
16
2007
16
2006
15
2005
11
2004
14
2003
10
2002
10
2001
10
2000
4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Spicewood Quarry sits in Burnet County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 1.5% 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.
Burnet County, Texas · Population 51,064
1.5%
Mining share of county employment
$77,158
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
EE struck an HSI Crusher Blow bar with a sledgehammer and felt a scratch on the left forearm on 12-22-20. On 1-07-21 EE reported that there was metal embedded in the left forearm. EE was treated by a doctor on 01-08-21 for removal of foreign material.
A fire started in the engine compartment of the Cat 330 cl excavator that was extinguished by the fire department. The unit was damaged beyond repair.
2015 · 1 incident
February 16, 2015TX · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
After removing a rock from conveyor #1 employee was descending from the guard when a side D-ring on his fall protection harness got caught on the guard. As he was trying to free the D-ring he lost his balance and fell to the ground, injuring his right elbow. Employee sought medical attention and is currently on modified duty.
2008 · 1 incident
February 28, 2008TX · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee error. Employee slipped off bumper stepping from 330L excavator track to bumper on fuel truck. This led to the sprain of the left knee, which later turned out to be damage to the meniscus of that same knee. This was not originally an MSHA reportable case, but became one later on when he needed surgery in mid April.
2005 · 1 incident
June 20, 2005TX · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was positioning a piece of catwalk material (portable work platform) into place around a tail pulley assembly. The piece slipped, and when he tried to catch it his finger got pinched between the piece and a stationary I-beam.
2003 · 1 incident
May 14, 2003TX · Metal/Non-Metalbackhoe operator, trackhoe operator, crane operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON