Mining Incidents

U S Brick Pit: 9 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Wienerberger AG
Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, TX  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 4102829

U S Brick Pit has $966 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
5
Years on record
1983–2021
Latest incident
Jul 2021
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
9
citations
0
significant & substantial
$966
proposed penalties
$938
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $28 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
32
inspections on record
271
inspection hours
n/a
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: 271 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

U S Brick Pit has $966 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.
$966
proposed penalties
$938
current assessed
$938
paid to date
$0
outstanding
9 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $322 in penalties contested before the Commission, $294 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-26.
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.
0.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
11.1%
reasonably likely or greater
22.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 44.4% low, 55.6% moderate, 0.0% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 22% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 100%
9%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$322 proposed, $294 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 2024-05-20.
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
CENT 2024-0220 Settlement Lewis 2024 $322 → $294
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: 2022-02-01, 4 years ago
5
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg4
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (5)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2022-02-01 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.24 Truck Driver
2022-02-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2022-02-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2022-02-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2022-02-01 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
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
  1. Forterra Brick, LLC 1980 to 2017
  2. Meridian Brick LLC 2017 to 2023
  3. General Shale Brick, Inc. 2023 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 1
2025 2
2024 2
2023 0
2022 2
2021 2
2020 2
2019 2
2018 2
2017 3
2016 3
2015 3
2014 2
2013 2
2012 2
2011 2
2010 1
2009 0
2008 1
2007 6
2006 5
2005 6
2004 6
2003 6
2002 5
2001 6
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

U S Brick Pit sits in Palo Pinto County, Texas, where the Census mining category is 3.5% 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.
Palo Pinto County, Texas · Population 28,920
3.5%
Mining share of county employment
$64,972
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 1 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 1 1 0 1000000.0
2025 Q4 24 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 50 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 40 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 5 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 10 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 12 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 84 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 52 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 0 0 0
2023 Q2 0 0 0
2023 Q1 0 0 0
2022 Q4 2 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 6 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 10 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 16 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 28 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 65 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 5 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 4 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 12 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 10 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 6 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 8 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 4 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 4 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 6 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 6 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 6 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 1 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 7 1 0 142857.1
2018 Q1 7 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 11 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 11 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 11 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 11 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 11 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 11 0 0 0.0
2016 Q2 11 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2015 Q4 10 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 10 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 10 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 10 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 10 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 4 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 4 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 4 1 0 250000.0
2013 Q4 4 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 4 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 4 0 0 0.0
2013 Q1 4 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 4 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 4 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 4 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 4 0 0 0.0
2011 Q4 4 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 4 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 4 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 4 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 0 0 0
2010 Q3 0 1 0
2010 Q2 4 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 0 0 0
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2009 Q3 0 0 0
2009 Q2 0 0 0
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 1 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 0 0 0
2008 Q2 1 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 6 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 32 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 32 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 32 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 60 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 32 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 32 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 32 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 46 1 0 21739.1
2005 Q4 373 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 2,584 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 2,187 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 2,162 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 2,223 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 1,897 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 2,052 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 2,130 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 1,832 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 1,740 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 1,666 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 2,108 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 1,810 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 1,932 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 2,005 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 1,885 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 1,821 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 2,034 1 0 491.6
2001 Q2 2,058 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 2,305 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,366 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 2,261 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 1,869 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 1,923 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2021 · 1 incident

July 10, 2021 TX · Metal/Non-Metal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Meridian Brick LLC · Struck by flying object

EE was changing bucket teeth on an excavator. When EE hit a tooth with a sledge hammer, a piece of the hammer head broke off and penetrated EE's left inner thigh. EE was taken to Palo Pinto General Hospital for medical care.

1992 · 2 incidents

October 8, 1992 TX · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Forterra Brick, LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

MECHANIC WAS TAKING A TRACK PAD BOLT OUT OF THE TRACK WITH AN AIR WRENCH.EE THOUGHT THE NUT WAS ABOUT OFF AND HE REACHED AND CAUGHT A HOLD OF THE NUT.THE MECHANIC REVERSED THE AIR WRENCH AND T HE NUT TWISTED IN HIS THUMB CUTTING A CHUNK OF MEAT OUT OF HIS THUMB.

January 2, 1992 TX · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Forterra Brick, LLC · Struck against a moving object

EMPLOYEE WAS BACKING UP ON DOZER WHEN HE BACKED OVER A HUMP, WHEN THE DOZER SLAMMED DOWN IT JAMED HIS BACK.

1990 · 1 incident

1983 · 1 incident

June 21, 1983 TX · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Forterra Brick, LLC · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE USED BODY TO TRY TO HEAVE DOOR OPEN ON TRUCK DID NOT HAVE DOOR FULLY UNLATCHED EXCESS FORCE OF BODY ON TRUCK DOOR BRUISED RIBS