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.
72 citations across 1,158 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
VANCE QUARRY has $33K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 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.
$33K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$27K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
66 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $22K in penalties contested before the Commission, $15K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-28.
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.
6citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
4 · 67%
Stood as issued
1 · 17%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 17%
83%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
37%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$24K proposed, $15K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2022-01-31.
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: 2026-03-30
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
15
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg10
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz3
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (15)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2026-03-30
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2026-03-30
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2025-07-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2025-07-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2024-09-10
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2024-09-10
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2020-02-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.59
10
0.06
Lab Technician
2020-02-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
3.51
10
0.35
Mechanic
2020-02-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.44
10
0.04
Crusher Oper/Worker
2015-06-03
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.2
0.66
0.30
Mechanic
2015-06-03
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.21
2.07
0.10
Truck Driver
2015-06-03
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Lab Technician
2011-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2011-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2011-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe 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.
VANCE QUARRY recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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 1.77 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Alabama, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.27 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
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017 *
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
11
2025
11
2024
11
2023
13
2022
13
2021
14
2020
16
2019
15
2018
14
2017
14
2016
14
2015
15
2014
15
2013
17
2012
17
2011
15
2010
15
2009
17
2008
19
2007
20
2006
19
2005
17
2004
18
2003
22
2002
21
2001
22
2000
22
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
VANCE QUARRY sits in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, where the Census mining category is 0.9% 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.
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama · Population 234,036
0.9%
Mining share of county employment
$63,947
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
Pole was picked up on site and on the pole trailer and transported. In the course of lifting pole off trailer the strap failed and pole kicked up and struck our ee on left side of his mouth and face. EE had cuts below his lip and to his tongue and had a slight fracture to left cheek. Oral surgeon said fracture would heal on its own and the ee had stitches below his lip and tongue.
2012 · 1 incident
October 3, 2012AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was working on the tramp system jacks on the RC60 cone. He relieved the oil pressure off the system. Employee was getting out of the opening beside the crusher. The jack blew out from the bottom. The piston from the jack hit his left hand. Catching his hand between the piston & the bonnet support.
2010 · 2 incidents
June 7, 2010AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was stepping off a piece of equipment, when he missed a step and fell back on his heel.
January 18, 2010AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE took spacers weighing approx 15lbs each for Jaw out of storage basket. He came across motor base platform going to install plates. He stepped down from one platform to another, his right foot slipped on wet platform. Foot slipped forward away from body and other foot wasn't planted. He landed on the platform hitting he step with the middle lumbar region of his back.
2009 · 1 incident
June 18, 2009AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was staightening a step taken off the 990 loader, while it was clamped in a vise. He was using a large crescent wrench to straighten the step. He was pulling it towards him, when the wrench slipped. The wrench handle hit him under the brim of his hard hat on the left forehead area. Injured employee sustained a cut to the forehead requiring 8 stitches.
2007 · 1 incident
May 7, 2007AL · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee attempted to climb back onto his machine when his foot slipped off the cat walk causing his right lower leg to strike corner of cat walk. When his leg struck corner of cat walk it caused a 14cm laceration to the right lower leg.
2005 · 1 incident
August 27, 2005AL · Metal/Non-Metalquality control technician, laboratory technician, laboratory assistantHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was striking the wedge on the jaw crusher with a sledge hammer to try to free it. He felt a burning in his lower back but didn't think a lot of it until the next morning when he woke up and had some pain & tightness in his lower back.
EE WAS INSTALLING PUNCH PLATE ON THE NEW RIP RAP SCREEN. AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO FREE THE LIFTING CHAIN (WHICH WAS WEDGED UNDERNEATH) FROM THE SCREEN PANEL, THE BAR HE HAD WEDGED UNDER THE PANEL SLIPPED AND THE PANEL DROPPED ABOUT A HALFINCH AND PINCHED THE END OF HIS FINGER, FRACTURING IT.
A PIN IN AN EXCAVATOR'S TRACKS WERE BEING DRIVENBACK INTO PLACE WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER. A SMALL SLIVER OF THE PIN CHIPPED OFF AND STRUCK THE EE IN THE LEFT CHEST. THE SLIVER PENETRATED THE SKIN ROUGHLY A 1/4" AND CAME BACK OUT, THE EE WAS GIVEN SEVERAL STITCHES AND RELEASED TO FULL DUTY.
April 23, 2003AL · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER A CHUTE THRU A TOP CHECK DOOR TO DISLODGE A ROCK THAT WAS STUCK. THE DOORWAS NOT DESIGNED FOR ACCESS BUT AS A VISUAL CHECK. AS THE EE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER HE WAS UNABLE TO GET HIS FOOTING AND STRAINED HIS SHOULDER TRYINGTO HOLD ON.
EMPLOYEE WAS LOOSENING A DRILL STEM WITH A PIPE WRENCH. THE WRENCH SLIPPED FROM THE STEM & THE EMPLOYEE'S ELBOW STRUCK AGAINST A DRILL STEM BEING STAGED DIRECTLY BEHIND HIM. EMPLOYEE SUFFERED A MINOR LACERATION TO HIS ELBOW.
January 30, 2003AL · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
THE EE WAS TIGHTENING A BOLT ON THE COVER PLATE OVER THE STATIONARY JAW DIE. IN THE PROCESS OF TIGHTENING THE BOLT, THE EE STRAINED HIS BACK.
2001 · 1 incident
August 8, 2001AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
CLEANING CRUSHER RUN CHUTE HE CUT 4TH FINGER ON RIGHT HAND ON SCREENS REQUIRING 3 STITCHES.
2000 · 2 incidents
August 10, 2000AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
CHANGING JAW DIE AND PUTTING THROAT BACK OVER JAW, THE CHAIN WAS TOO LONG SO THEY WERE GOING TO REHOOK IT, EMPLOYEE WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND STUMBLED GRABBING A BAR AND THE THROAT SMASHED RIGHT INDEX FINGER.
February 2, 2000AL · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
CHANGING THE CYLINDERS ON DEMAG, EMPLOYEE HAD CYLINDER LINED UP TO PUT PIN IN AND INJURED WENT UNDERNEATH TO PUT BLOCKS UNDER IT AND THE CYLINDER SLIPPED FALLING ON HIS (INJURED'S) RIGHT IN DEX FINGER.