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: 377 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Spread #2 has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
43 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $300 in penalties contested before the Commission, $200 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-06-17.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 7% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 67%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 33%
33%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$300 proposed, $200 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2013-02-11.
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: 2020-09-17, 5 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
6
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg5
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (6)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2020-09-17
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-09-17
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2012-10-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2012-10-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2007-04-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0.07
Front-end Loader Operator
2007-04-24
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.17
10
0.02
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.
Ownership history
E Wienen & Sons Construction Company Inc1950 to 1988
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
2
2025
3
2024
2
2023
2
2022
3
2021
2
2020
3
2019
2
2018
2
2017
2
2016
3
2015
2
2014
3
2013
3
2012
3
2011
2
2010
2
2009
2
2008
0
2007
1
2006
1
2005
2
2004
0
2003
2
2002
0
2001
2
2000
2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Spread #2 sits in Jo Daviess 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.
Jo Daviess County, Illinois · Population 21,918
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$74,954
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
Miner used a pocket knife to cut rubberized tape from an electrical cord that needed to be repaired during plant set up. Miner was pulling the knife towards self while cutting the tape, and cut into the top of left thumb which was holding the cord. The Laceration required medical treatment.
2014 · 1 incident
April 3, 2014IL · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerOTHER
Miner was removing a rock which was stuck in an overhead conveyor. High winds and the shaking of the rock caused rock dust to be blown around his safety glasses and into his eye. One piece of rock dust was removed from his eye by an optometrist (non-imbedded) and the Miner was given prescription eye drops to prevent infection.
Worker was n loader. They had loaded another bucket onto lowboy. His loader was in park waiting for injured. Injured moved a piece of wood. This caused the chain holding the bucket to vibrate. This allowed a little movement of bucket to pinch hand between bucket and trailer.
Related mines
Other mines operated by Conmat Inc., dba Helm Materials