Mining Incidents

Tazewell Quarry: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Vulcan Materials Company
Tazewell, Claiborne County, TN  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4000100

Tazewell Quarry has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
10
Years on record
1987–2019
Latest incident
Jul 2019
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
37
citations
8
significant & substantial
$4,846
proposed penalties
$4,661
paid to date
96% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $185 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
78
inspections on record
1,049
inspection hours
3.5
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.
37 citations across 1,049 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Tazewell Quarry 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
37 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $770 in penalties contested before the Commission, $485 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-04-26.
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.
21.6%
significant & substantial
2.7%
high negligence or reckless
21.6%
reasonably likely or greater
54.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 21.6% low, 75.7% moderate, 2.7% 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.
4 citations taken to the federal commission · 11% of citations on record
  • Settled 3 · 75%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 25%
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%
37%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$770 proposed, $485 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 2015-12-22.
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 2009-786M Settlement Lesnick 2010 $670 → $385
SE 2016-0077 Settlement Lesnick 2016 $100 → $100
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
25
samples
9
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg15
  • Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz6
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
Show the individual readings (25)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-09-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2025-09-23 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 Truck Driver
2022-09-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-09-14 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-09-14 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 10 0.02 Truck Driver
2018-04-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Bulldozer Operator
2018-04-26 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.17 10 0.02 Truck Driver
2018-04-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Cleanup Man
2018-04-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2018-04-26 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2016-07-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2016-07-06 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2016-07-06 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.68 10 0.07 Truck Driver
2010-11-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-11-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2006-03-29 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.56 1.89 0.30 Truck Loader
2005-02-16 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.49 10 0.05 Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-02-16 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2005-02-16 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.25 1.86 0.13 Bulldozer Operator
2005-02-16 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.15 10 0.02 Truck Driver
2004-04-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2004-04-28 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Loader
2004-04-28 Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.21 10 0.02 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-04-28 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.26 2.31 0.11 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.

Tazewell Quarry recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2023.

Injury rate, 2023
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 1.78 and the all-US-mining average was 2.10 cases per 100 workers.
In Tennessee, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.62 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
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2002 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2001 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2000 * 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. Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC 1950 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 9
2025 8
2024 9
2023 10
2022 10
2021 10
2020 6
2019 7
2018 8
2017 5
2016 8
2015 6
2014 8
2013 10
2012 6
2011 7
2010 8
2009 6
2008 7
2007 11
2006 10
2005 10
2004 9
2003 11
2002 13
2001 13
2000 13
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Tazewell Quarry sits in Claiborne County, Tennessee, where the Census mining category is 1.0% 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.
Claiborne County, Tennessee · Population 32,221
1.0%
Mining share of county employment
$46,587
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 6,424 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 3,717 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 3,965 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 5,628 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 4,145 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 3,741 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 3,498 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 5,446 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 5,022 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 5,672 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 5,708 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 5,413 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 5,765 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 4,712 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 4,170 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 6,078 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 5,228 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 5,041 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 5,983 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 3,599 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 6,676 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 3,336 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 3,027 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 4,165 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 3,495 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 2,259 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 2,289 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 4,965 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 4,443 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 1,425 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 4,022 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 3,705 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 5,558 3 0 539.8
2018 Q1 1,441 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 1,324 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 3,747 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 3,252 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 2,007 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,379 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 5,676 1 0 176.2
2016 Q2 4,250 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 2,628 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 2,936 1 0 340.6
2015 Q3 5,802 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 3,986 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 2,066 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 4,347 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 5,026 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 3,766 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 3,439 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 4,293 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 5,397 1 0 185.3
2013 Q2 5,598 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 1,982 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 2,556 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 4,049 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 3,399 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 1,618 1 0 618.0
2011 Q4 3,390 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 4,463 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 3,326 3 0 902.0
2011 Q1 2,733 1 0 365.9
2010 Q4 3,217 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 4,484 1 0 223.0
2010 Q2 3,686 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 1,487 1 0 672.5
2009 Q4 3,262 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 3,348 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 3,147 5 3 1588.8
2009 Q1 4,229 1 0 236.5
2008 Q4 4,904 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 3,423 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 4,617 1 0 216.6
2008 Q1 1,746 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 3,568 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 3,989 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 4,186 1 0 238.9
2007 Q1 4,342 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 3,445 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 4,335 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 5,078 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 2,492 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 3,150 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 4,209 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,720 1 0 268.8
2005 Q1 4,704 2 0 425.2
2004 Q4 3,052 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 2,980 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 4,639 2 1 431.1
2004 Q1 2,616 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 3,542 2 2 564.7
2003 Q3 3,532 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 5,642 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 4,877 1 0 205.0
2002 Q4 6,383 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 9,037 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 5,134 1 0 194.8
2002 Q1 7,637 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 7,870 1 0 127.1
2001 Q3 6,352 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 6,131 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 4,931 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 8,330 1 0 120.0
2000 Q3 8,148 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 5,560 3 1 539.6
2000 Q1 5,938 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
July 15, 2019 TN · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Plant Manager aggravated a pre-existing injury to the right heel tearing a blood blister while walking over a level drill bench. On July 20th, EE died after complications following surgery after an x-ray revealed a broken right heel bone and torn achilles tendon.

Reportable incidents

9 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2018 · 1 incident

October 30, 2018 TN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee caught right hand between wrench and hand rail while replacing belts on HSI Crusher.

2008 · 1 incident

November 26, 2008 TN · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Injured EE wsa adding the new bumper rails to scales and the injured EE was supporting the pipe by hand, when the opposite end fell off its supports trapping finger, causing a broken finger.

1998 · 1 incident

1996 · 1 incident

June 3, 1996 TN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech POWERED HAULAGE
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Struck against a moving object

EE WAS DRIVING A TRUCK USING A KNOB ON STEERING WHEEL. HE HIT AN OBJECT IN ROADWAY CAUSING WHEEL TO JERK AND HIS ARM HIT THE DOOR. INJURY DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION TIL 8-29-96.

1994 · 1 incident

June 20, 1994 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

EE WAS DISMOUNTING 966 CAT LOADER. AS HE WAS STEPPING DOWN HE MISSED THE SECOND STEP AND FELL TO THE GROUND. SUSTAINED BROKEN BONE IN LEFT FOOT.

1989 · 1 incident

November 1, 1989 TN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Fall to the walkway or working surface

HE WAS REMOVING PINS FROM OLD FEEDER STARTED TO MOVE FELL BACKWARDS, FRACTURED CHEST BONE.

1987 · 3 incidents

November 23, 1987 TN · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Struck by flying object

HE WAS CHARGED 7VABLE ON SHOVEL WAS H AMMERING ON CABLE WEDGE SMALL PIECE OF METAL FLEW HITTING HIMN IN LEG. HAD TO REMOVE METAL

July 13, 1987 TN · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC · Struck by flying object

HE WAS CUTTING 6OLT WITH TORCH-AFTER THE BOLT WAS CUT HE TOOK A HAMMER TO DRIVE THE BOLT OUT ANDA SMALL PIECE OF METAL FLEW FROM BOLT HITTING HIM IN THE SIDE.