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.
106 citations across 1,189 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Sprague Quarry has $13K in proposed MSHA penalties and $1K 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.
$13K
proposed penalties
$13K
current assessed
$12K
paid to date
$1K
outstanding
106 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $830 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-13.
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.
10citations taken to the federal commission · 9% of citations on record
Settled
6 · 60%
Stood as issued
2 · 20%
Vacated or withdrawn
2 · 20%
50%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
17%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $830 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2017-04-02.
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: 2026-03-31
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
16
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz11
Respirable dust, <.1mg3
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (16)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2026-03-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bulldozer Operator
2026-03-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2026-03-31
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.16
Front-end Loader Operator
2019-11-06
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.43
Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-11-06
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.13
Laborer, Bullgang
2019-11-06
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.22
Front-end Loader Operator
2015-05-06
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.18
Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-05-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.32
2.36
0.14
Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-03-03
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2010-03-03
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.2
Front-end Loader Operator
2010-03-03
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.14
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2004-04-13
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.2
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-04-13
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.52
1.44
0.36
Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-04-24
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.46
Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-04-24
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.17
Front-end Loader Operator
2002-04-24
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.34
Crusher Oper/Worker
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.
Sprague Quarry recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2020.
Injury rate, 2020
ⓘ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 1.77 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Washington, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.01 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
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014 *
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
7
2025
6
2024
7
2023
8
2022
10
2021
8
2020
10
2019
8
2018
9
2017
8
2016
9
2015
10
2014
10
2013
6
2012
5
2011
5
2010
5
2009
6
2008
5
2007
5
2006
6
2005
5
2004
5
2003
5
2002
6
2001
7
2000
6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Sprague Quarry sits in Lincoln County, Washington, where the Census mining category is 0.0% 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.
Lincoln County, Washington · Population 11,271
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$71,227
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 was trimming conveyor belt using a utility knife. The belt cut easier than EE expected, resulting in the knife travelling past the conveyor belt and making contact with the EE's leg. The contact resulted in a laceration requiring sutures.
Employee was trying to remove a drill steel from a 988H loader bucker which was wedged in the bucket. He hit it with a hammer and it sprung out hitting him in the ankle. The doctor did an x-ray 11-12-2013 and gave him time off until follow up appt. on 11/18/13. At that time, the Dr returned ee to light duty with anther follow up appt in 10 days.
2012 · 1 incident
October 29, 2012WA · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Doing maintenance on Thor Stacker conveyor, putting wear iron in receiving box using torch and welder. He slipped and fell because of rainy conditions and smashed and cut his middle and pointer fingers on his left hand.
2010 · 1 incident
February 3, 2010WA · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was helping 2 other employees change a return roller on a stacker. He was lifting the belt and twisting while placing the roller. He was lifting approximately 20 pounds at the time. It affected his lower back which he has had issues before.
2003 · 1 incident
April 15, 2003WA · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EMPLOYEE WAS HOLDING A STEEL POST WHILE OTHER EMPLOYEE WAS DRIVING IT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER. HAMMER MISSED POST AND STRUCK FINGER OF EMPLOYEE HOLDING POST.