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: 438 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Waterloo Sand 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
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
39 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $407 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-05-12.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
3 · 100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
68%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $407 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2014-06-05.
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: 2021-12-15, 4 years ago
10
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg9
Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (10)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2021-12-15
Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz
0.73
Mechanic
2021-12-15
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mechanic
2019-04-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dredge/Barge Operator
2019-04-23
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Washer Operator
2016-10-19
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2016-10-19
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dredge/Barge Operator
2016-10-19
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Washer Operator
2012-05-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dredge/Barge Operator
2012-05-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Washer Operator
2009-04-28
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader 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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
5
2025
5
2024
5
2023
5
2022
5
2021
5
2020
5
2019
5
2018
4
2017
5
2016
5
2015
5
2014
5
2013
5
2012
5
2011
5
2010
5
2009
5
2008
5
2007
4
2006
4
2005
4
2004
4
2003
4
2002
4
2001
3
2000
4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Waterloo Sand sits in Black Hawk County, Iowa, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Black Hawk County, Iowa · Population 130,693
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$64,581
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
THE DISSCONNECT SWITCH ON FRESH WATER PUMP HAD BEEN OPENED. HE WENT TO CLOSE THE BOX DOOR, BUT THE SAFETY LATCH WAS CORRODED. HE PUSHED UP ON THE SAFETY LATCH AND THE LATCH MOVED. THIS CAUSED HIM TO CUT FINGER ON LATCH OF DOOR.
1995 · 1 incident
September 6, 1995IA · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
A 1 5/8" COMBINATION WRENCH DROPPED INTO THE TAIL PULLEY OF THE CONCRETE STAKER CONVEYOR WHITE IT WAS RUNNING. HE TRIED TO GRAB THE WRENCH WITH HIS HAND AND THE WRENCH LACERATED HIS LEFT HAND PALM.
1994 · 1 incident
October 31, 1994IA · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
THE HALF-INCH PEA GRAVEL CONVEYOR STOPPED RUNNING. ELECTRICALLY SEEMED OK. HHE TOLD EE TO MAE A VISUAL INSPECTION. EE FOUND A CHAIN WRAPPED HEAD PULLEY. WITHOUT CLEARING HIMSELF ON REPORTI NG WHAT HE FOUND, HE ATTEMPTED TO PUT CHAIN BACK ON SPROCKET. AT SAME TIME EE ENERGIZED THE CONVEYOR, CAUSING EE'S FINGER TO GET CAUGHT IN SPROCKET AND CHAIN.
1991 · 1 incident
January 7, 1991IA · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
THE EMPLOYEE HAD BEEN OUTSIDE IN COLA DN SNOW. HE CAME INSIDE TO HELP PUSH ON TONQUE OF A WETTING BIN. T HE FLOOR ON WHICH HE WAS TRYING TO GET TRACTOR ON TO MOVE THE TONQUE WAS A CEMENT FLOO R WITH A BURNT SMOOTH FINISH. BECAUSE OF THE SNOW ON HIS BOOTS. HE FEET SLIPPED AND HIS HAND FELL UNDERNEATH THE TONQUE. CAUSING THE BROKEN HAND.
WHILE USING A BREAKER BAR ON A PIPE WRENCH. THE JAWS OF THE PIPE WRENCH SLIPPED THE BREAKER BAR HIT THE VICTIM IN THE HARD HAT WHICH THEN HIT HIS HEAD. THE HARD HAT CUT A GASH IN HIS FOREHEAD ABOVE HIS EYE. THIS REQUIRED STICHES TO CLOSE.