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: 84 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
West Crusher #4 has $1K 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.
$1K
proposed penalties
$1K
current assessed
$1K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
10 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $814 in penalties contested before the Commission, $814 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-09-16.
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.
7citations taken to the federal commission · 64% of citations on record
Settled
7 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$814 proposed, $814 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2018-02-13.
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: 2017-03-29, 9 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
2
samples
1
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Respirable dust, <.1mg1
Show the individual readings (2)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2017-03-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2017-03-29
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.38
1.93
0.72
Laborer, Bullgang
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
0
2025
5
2020
0
2019
5
2018
6
2017
10
2016
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
West Crusher #4 sits in Pennington County, South Dakota, 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.
Pennington County, South Dakota · Population 112,081
0.9%
Mining share of county employment
$70,768
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 Q1
0
0
0
2025 Q4
4,089
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
1,609
1
0
621.5
2020 Q1
0
0
0
2019 Q2
284
2
0
7042.3
2019 Q1
246
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
1,770
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
2,603
0
0
0.0
Show 8 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2018 Q2
2,334
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
1
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
0
1
0
2017 Q3
2,320
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
2,319
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
571
6
1
10507.9
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2025 · 1 incident
August 11, 2025SD · Metal/Non-Metalminer, prospector, necMACHINERY
Croell, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EE was drilling holes to install guard when the drill caught metal and twisted in their hand causing injury. The EE strained their right wrist. The EE did not report their incident until 08.18.2025 after seeking medical attention on 08.17.2025. Injury was inadvertently entered as an OSHA incident and is now being corrected.
2017 · 2 incidents
August 22, 2017SD · Metal/Non-Metalgroundman, yardmanDISORDERS (PHYSICAL AGENTS)
Diagnosis of heat exhaustion and dehydration from hot weather. Employee was terminated on 08/24/2017 but not due to the illness. Condition was not reported to employer until 08/24/2017 which is the day employee went to the doctor.
August 16, 2017SD · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Croell, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Employee was cleaning off the cross-over belt on the crusher with a spud bar trying to break up a large piece of aggregate. While ee was trying to break down the large piece of material, ee strained right elbow.