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: 480 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
2
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2018-01-11.
On record since 2017.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Utica Silica has $76K in proposed MSHA penalties and $607 outstanding across 7 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.
$76K
proposed penalties
$48K
current assessed
$48K
paid to date
$607
outstanding
82 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $75K in penalties contested before the Commission, $39K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2021-08-04.
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.
43citations taken to the federal commission · 51% of citations on record
Settled
39 · 91%
Vacated or withdrawn
4 · 9%
84%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 25 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
48%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$75K proposed, $39K 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 2019-01-27.
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: 2018-11-20, 7 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
22
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg18
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz1
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (22)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2018-11-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2018-11-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Skip Dumper, Toploader, Tipple Operator
2018-11-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.19
Mechanic
2018-08-21
Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz
0.24
Utility Man
2018-08-21
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2018-08-21
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2017-08-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Scale Man
2017-08-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Building Repair/Maint.
2017-08-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Forklift Operator
2017-08-09
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2017-08-09
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.13
Backhoe Operator
2016-08-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Welder, etc.
2016-08-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2016-08-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2016-08-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2016-08-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Building Repair/Maint.
2015-02-18
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2015-02-18
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2014-09-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Lab Technician
2014-09-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.12
0.64
0.19
Front-end Loader Operator
2014-09-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dump Operator
2014-09-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dump Operator
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.
Utica Silica recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2019.
Injury rate, 2019
ⓘ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 1.94 and the all-US-mining average was 2.32 cases per 100 workers.
In Illinois, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.29 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
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017
5.84
3.89
0.000
2016 *
5.05
0.00
0.000
2015 *
3.70
3.70
0.000
2014 *
9.22
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
2019
24
2018
46
2017
44
2016
33
2015
24
2014
10
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Utica Silica sits in LaSalle County, Illinois, 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.
LaSalle County, Illinois · Population 109,049
1.0%
Mining share of county employment
$72,281
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
2019 Q4
206
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
15,408
1
1
64.9
2019 Q2
15,876
1
0
63.0
2019 Q1
6,460
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
21,794
4
0
183.5
2018 Q3
27,091
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
26,485
1
0
37.8
2018 Q1
27,398
12
7
438.0
Show 16 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2017 Q4
26,742
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
27,508
20
14
727.1
2017 Q2
25,053
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
23,509
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
22,856
10
1
437.5
2016 Q3
20,499
13
4
634.2
2016 Q2
18,347
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
17,541
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
17,227
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
16,088
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
9,562
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
11,118
3
2
269.8
2014 Q4
10,061
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
7,901
1
0
126.6
2014 Q2
2,995
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
731
4
0
5472.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
7 on file
2017 · 3 incidents
September 14, 2017IL · Metal/Non-Metalcar trimmer, car loader, bin puller, truck loaderSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Miner lacerated right hand index finger through leather gloves while cutting grease hose with an open blade cutter. Miner was wearing normal PPE and leather gloves. Factors contributing to the incident include use of an open blade cutter, an inadequate glove for the cutting technique used and placement of the finger in the path of the cutter.
January 2, 2017IL · Metal/Non-Metalquality control technician, laboratory technician, laboratory assistantHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Miner suffered a lower left back muscle strain. Miner was on knees moving cams to set screen deck following normal procedure on a Rotex sizing machine and reported sudden back pain. Miner was experienced in this task. Miner was wearing assigned PPE. Possible factors include muscle fatigue from screen changing, inadequate rest periods or stress of coming erect from kneeling.
2016 · 2 incidents
December 25, 2016IL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Utica Silica, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Left little finger laceration occurred when pinched between JLG 2630 scissor lift handrail and platform. Injured miner was next to the lift with PPE & gloves. A miner was on the platform. Handrail pins were removed. Handrail dropped without miners maintaining physical control. No stop is present to avoid creating the pinch point when lowering the handrail.
April 14, 2016IL · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Instead of walking around spout head, over-reached to push storage silo sample release button. Miner reported foot stepped into triangle portion of walkway not grated. Lost balance & reached out to re-gain balance. Lt thumb impacted unknown object, breaking thumb. Incident occurred at 100 mesh silo spout head below silo. PPE was in use but not a factor.
2015 · 1 incident
January 5, 2015IL · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Non-serious injury: Miner was walking down stair way and slipped; grabbed handrail and while pulling he stretched in an awkward position which resulted in a stretched shoulder muscle. Miner informed company of the incident on 10/21/2014