Mining Incidents

Sweetwater Quarry: 99 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Vulcan Materials Company
Sweetwater, Monroe County, TN  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4000024

Sweetwater Quarry has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
1984–2018
Latest incident
Apr 2018
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
99
citations
16
significant & substantial
$15,066
proposed penalties
$14,599
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $467 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
78
inspections on record
1,119
inspection hours
8.8
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.
99 citations across 1,119 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Sweetwater Quarry has $15K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$15K
proposed penalties
$15K
current assessed
$15K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
99 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $585 in penalties contested before the Commission, $118 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-15.
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.
16.2%
significant & substantial
2.0%
high negligence or reckless
16.2%
reasonably likely or greater
56.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 7.1% low, 90.9% moderate, 2.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
1 citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 100%
0%
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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
80%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$585 proposed, $118 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 2011-07-22.
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
SE 2011-698M Settlement Barbour 2012 $585 → $118
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: 2025-09-23
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
34
samples
18
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg15
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz12
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz7
Show the individual readings (34)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2025-09-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.15 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2024-03-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2024-03-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2024-03-20 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-03-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-03-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2022-03-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2015-08-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Scale Man
2015-08-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-06-25 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.28 1.98 0.14 Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2009-06-25 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.45 10 0.05 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2009-06-25 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Scale Man
2009-06-25 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.27 10 0.03 Mechanic
2007-06-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.36 2.12 0.17 Laborer, Bullgang
2007-06-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.49 1.91 0.26 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-10-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.17 1.45 0.12 Truck Driver
2005-10-19 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 10 0.02 Truck Driver
2005-10-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.21 1.29 0.16 Cleanup Man
2004-11-17 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2004-11-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.26 1.9 0.14 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-11-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.84 1.43 0.59 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-11-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.88 1.28 0.69 Truck Driver
2004-11-17 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1.08 1.61 0.67 Truck Driver
2002-12-05 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Shovel Operator
2002-12-05 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.28 10 0.03 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-12-05 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.19 10 0.02 Truck Driver
2002-12-05 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.44 2.09 0.21 Crusher Oper/Worker
2002-07-31 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.14 10 0.01 Truck Driver
2002-07-31 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.37 10 0.04 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2002-07-31 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.31 1.83 0.17 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.

Sweetwater 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 Tennessee, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.25 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
2010 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2009 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2008 * 6.88 6.88 0.000
2007 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2006 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Craighead Limestone Company Inc 1950 to 2010
  2. Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC 2010 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 11
2025 13
2024 12
2023 10
2022 9
2021 9
2020 9
2019 8
2018 7
2017 7
2016 7
2015 4
2014 6
2013 7
2012 9
2011 8
2010 15
2009 16
2008 18
2007 18
2006 19
2005 20
2004 19
2003 18
2002 19
2001 18
2000 18
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Sweetwater Quarry sits in Monroe County, Tennessee, 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.
Monroe County, Tennessee · Population 47,054
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$56,648
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 5,622 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 5,388 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 5,662 1 0 176.6
2025 Q3 7,316 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 7,478 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 7,722 1 0 129.5
2024 Q4 7,247 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 7,257 0 0 0.0
Show 97 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 7,057 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 4,929 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 5,662 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 5,280 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 5,430 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 5,220 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 4,889 1 0 204.5
2022 Q3 5,348 1 0 187.0
2022 Q2 5,104 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 4,358 1 0 229.5
2021 Q4 5,547 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 4,860 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 4,911 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 3,760 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 4,413 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 2,860 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 2,762 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 4,460 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 4,583 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 3,898 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 4,712 1 0 212.2
2019 Q1 3,958 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 4,587 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 2,857 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 3,502 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 2,562 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 2,814 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 2,635 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 3,757 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 3,506 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,222 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 2,963 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 2,405 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 3,321 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 1,844 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 1,360 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 1,744 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 1,478 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 2,507 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 3,308 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 3,694 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 3,359 1 0 297.7
2013 Q4 2,838 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 3,340 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 4,914 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 2,462 3 0 1218.5
2012 Q4 4,573 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 3,886 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 3,560 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 4,317 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 3,197 3 0 938.4
2011 Q3 4,230 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 3,892 2 1 513.9
2011 Q1 6,718 9 0 1339.7
2010 Q4 5,156 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 5,232 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 5,713 5 1 875.2
2010 Q1 5,923 4 1 675.3
2009 Q4 5,675 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 5,784 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 6,374 4 0 627.5
2009 Q1 6,104 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 7,236 8 1 1105.6
2008 Q3 7,791 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 7,399 6 3 810.9
2008 Q1 6,625 1 0 150.9
2007 Q4 7,991 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 8,682 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 8,872 8 4 901.7
2007 Q1 8,367 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 7,857 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 8,599 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 8,900 10 2 1123.6
2006 Q1 9,032 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 8,304 4 0 481.7
2005 Q3 9,588 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 8,856 1 0 112.9
2005 Q1 7,033 1 0 142.2
2004 Q4 7,674 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 7,961 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 8,354 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 7,234 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 8,835 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 8,876 1 0 112.7
2003 Q2 7,937 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 7,045 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 7,414 3 2 404.6
2002 Q3 8,619 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 9,466 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 8,654 5 0 577.8
2001 Q3 8,870 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 9,130 3 0 328.6
2001 Q1 8,832 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 7,331 4 0 545.6
2000 Q3 9,113 2 1 219.5
2000 Q2 8,761 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 8,466 4 0 472.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

9 on file

2018 · 1 incident

April 13, 2018 TN · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Fall from machine

Employee was attempting to check oil in welder on the welding truck when the door came off causing the employee to fall backwards on to the concrete floor in the shop. EE injured left wrist and left hip/leg region.

2008 · 1 incident

November 12, 2008 TN · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Slipped in confined area (bin), bruising tail bone.

2005 · 2 incidents

September 29, 2005 TN · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Mashed his middle finger on his left hand between the handle of a floor jack and the fuel tank on a delivery truck while he was moving the jack in order to change a tire on truck at the maintaince shop resulting in the loss of his finger nail.

June 8, 2005 TN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Struck by falling object

While removing sheeve from vertical impact crusher, sheeve fell onto employee's right arm just above elbow causing swelling. No bones broken

2004 · 2 incidents

September 1, 2004 TN · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Struck against a moving object

Employee went to lunch at 11:30 am. He told his wife that his chest was hurting. He went to Doctors office where he told them that he was operating a skid steer loader cleaning around the plant when it jarred him causing his chest and back to hurt. We received a fax from the doctor excusing him from work on 09/02/2004.

July 30, 2004 TN · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Employee was using a hand shovel to clean spillage under conveyor tail pulley at the primary crusher when he felt a pain in his back. Continued to work his normal shift. Went to emergency room on following Monday.

2003 · 1 incident

December 1, 2003 TN · Metal/Non-Metal

EE RACKING ROCK FROM SIDE OF BIN WHERE ROCK HAD CAKED DUE TO WET CONDITIONS WHEN A PIECE OF CAKED MATERIAL LESS THATN THE SIZE OF HARD HAT ROLLED LESS THAN 10 FEET STRIKING THE EE ONT HE LEFT LEG RESULTING IN BREAKAGE TO THE LEFT LEG BELOW THE KNEE.

1988 · 1 incident

June 15, 1988 TN · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Struck against a moving object

TRUCKER WAS IN TRUCK AT SCREENING STOCKPILE, LOADER OPERATOR DUMPED STONE IN TRUCK RESULTING IN BACK INJURY TO TRUCK DRIVER.

1984 · 1 incident

May 29, 1984 TN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
Craighead Limestone Company Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

CHECKING WIRING ON CRANE WHILE MOTOR WAS IN OPERATION.