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Williams Sandpit: 133 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

S & G Materials · Surface
Iowa City, Johnson County, IA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1302163

Williams Sandpit has $28K 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
12
Years on record
1991–2026
Latest incident
Jan 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
133
citations
20
significant & substantial
$27,510
proposed penalties
$22,880
paid to date
83% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $4,630 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See S & G Materials's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
68
inspections on record
992
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: 992 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.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-06-05.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Williams Sandpit has $28K 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.
$28K
proposed penalties
$23K
current assessed
$23K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
128 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $8K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-22.
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.
15.3%
significant & substantial
3.1%
high negligence or reckless
15.3%
reasonably likely or greater
41.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 9.9% low, 87.0% moderate, 3.1% 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.
1 citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 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%
60%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$8K proposed, $3K 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 2013-08-06.
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 2013-635M Settlement Miller 2014 $8K → $3K
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: 2025-10-23
17
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg11
  • Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz3
  • Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz2
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (17)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2025-10-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2025-10-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2025-10-23 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2023-01-05 Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2023-01-05 Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz 0 Mechanic
2022-09-21 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2022-09-21 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.25 Utility Man
2021-04-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2021-04-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dredge/Barge Operator
2020-03-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Mechanic
2020-03-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-04-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Dredge/Barge Operator
2019-04-30 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2012-11-07 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 Supervisor, Co. Official
2010-03-24 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.13 Utility Man
2010-03-24 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Washer Operator
2010-03-24 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.17 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.

Williams Sandpit recorded 8.36 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.

Injury rate, 2015
ⓘ 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.
8.36
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 2.26 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Iowa, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.90 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
2015 * 8.36 0.00 0.000
2014 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2013 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2012 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2011 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2010 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. S & G Materials 1989 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 7
2025 8
2024 8
2023 7
2022 7
2021 9
2020 8
2019 9
2018 9
2017 10
2016 10
2015 12
2014 11
2013 10
2012 10
2011 9
2010 8
2009 8
2008 8
2007 8
2006 8
2005 8
2004 6
2003 4
2002 3
2001 4
2000 4
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Williams Sandpit sits in Johnson County, Iowa, where the Census mining category is 0.0% 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.
Johnson County, Iowa · Population 154,881
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$74,721
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 4,592 0 0 0.0
2026 Q1 2,120 0 0 0.0
2025 Q4 3,795 1 0 263.5
2025 Q3 4,444 3 2 675.1
2025 Q2 4,421 2 1 452.4
2025 Q1 2,720 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 3,476 5 1 1438.4
2024 Q3 4,339 0 0 0.0
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 4,641 2 0 430.9
2024 Q1 2,791 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 3,439 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 4,082 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 4,200 2 0 476.2
2023 Q1 2,586 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 2,833 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 3,564 4 0 1122.3
2022 Q2 4,031 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 3,320 3 0 903.6
2021 Q4 4,274 1 0 234.0
2021 Q3 4,779 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 4,788 2 0 417.7
2021 Q1 3,046 1 0 328.3
2020 Q4 3,613 0 0 0.0
2020 Q3 3,881 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 3,657 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 2,683 1 0 372.7
2019 Q4 4,333 2 1 461.6
2019 Q3 4,927 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 4,870 2 0 410.7
2019 Q1 3,337 0 0 0.0
2018 Q4 3,966 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 4,581 3 0 654.9
2018 Q2 5,328 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 3,812 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 5,131 6 0 1169.4
2017 Q3 5,291 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 5,240 5 0 954.2
2017 Q1 3,457 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 3,878 1 0 257.9
2016 Q3 4,807 1 0 208.0
2016 Q2 5,689 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 3,255 6 1 1843.3
2015 Q4 4,392 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 6,483 5 2 771.2
2015 Q2 7,592 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 5,467 2 0 365.8
2014 Q4 5,599 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 6,327 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 5,941 2 1 336.6
2014 Q1 4,678 2 1 427.5
2013 Q4 5,385 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 6,340 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 6,742 4 1 593.3
2013 Q1 5,243 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 5,773 9 0 1559.0
2012 Q3 5,874 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 5,699 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 5,268 8 0 1518.6
2011 Q4 5,280 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 5,454 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 5,136 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 4,353 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 5,541 9 2 1624.3
2010 Q3 5,826 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 5,250 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 4,687 2 1 426.7
2009 Q4 5,233 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 5,167 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 5,360 4 0 746.3
2009 Q1 3,998 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 4,646 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 5,261 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 4,657 2 0 429.5
2008 Q1 3,516 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 4,017 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 4,813 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 5,244 2 1 381.4
2007 Q1 4,220 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 4,057 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 5,495 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 5,259 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 4,558 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 4,703 7 0 1488.4
2005 Q3 5,261 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 3,858 1 0 259.2
2005 Q1 3,635 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 4,203 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 5,563 4 2 719.0
2004 Q2 3,367 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 1,262 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 2,504 1 0 399.4
2003 Q3 3,483 3 0 861.3
2003 Q2 2,872 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 1,342 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 1,305 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,682 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 1,625 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 774 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 1,418 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,315 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 2,334 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 776 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 2,546 2 0 785.5
2000 Q3 2,533 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,525 1 0 396.0
2000 Q1 1,294 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

12 on file

2026 · 1 incident

January 15, 2026 IA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
S & G Materials · Fall from machine

Employee fell from dozer track while adding hydraulic oil. Employee lost footing and fell to the ground, landing on frozen surface. Conditions contributing to the accident included frozen ground and elevated work position on equipment. Injury resulted in a hip fracture requiring medical treatment and lost work time.

2025 · 1 incident

September 18, 2025 IA · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman ELECTRICAL
S & G Materials · Contact with electrical current

Contractor electrician and another EE went to the GFI, talked about what was happening w/dredge etc. They pulled the handle to trip fuses. EE opened the GFI door and talked about how everything worked. EE looked and tested the fuses down low w/EE's meter then went to test things up higher and that's when EE's meter blew up.

2022 · 1 incident

October 3, 2022 IA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
S & G Materials · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employees were unloading a pallet from a semi using a skidsteer. Employee had injured employee stand on the forks as a counter balance. When the pallet came off the edge of the truck it dropped and flipped up catching injured employee's legs between the back of the pallet and forks cutting injured employee's legs.

2021 · 1 incident

April 5, 2021 IA · Metal/Non-Metal superintendent HANDLING OF MATERIALS
S & G Materials · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE put new batteries in the dozer. When EE stepped back up on the track to tighten the batteries, EE felt pain in the back. The pain got worse when EE got in the truck. Went to the doctor and they said EE pulled a muscle. Sent EE home - next appointment is on 4/8/2021.

2015 · 1 incident

February 5, 2015 IA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
S & G Materials · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was using a hand held 4 1/2" angle grinder on a piece of metal, he felt something go in his eye even though he was wearing safety glasses. he continued working, it wasn't until that evening that his eye hurt and he realized he still had something in it. He went to the doctor the next morning.

2005 · 1 incident

July 11, 2005 IA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
S & G Materials · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

THEY WERE WORKING ON THE DREDGE PUMP. THEY HAD MOVED THE PUMP SHELL TO THE FRONT OF THE HULL TO LEAN AGAINST THE HULL. THE SHELL FELL BACK PINNING EMPLOYEE BETWEEN THE SHELL AND THE IMPELLOR. INJURED AND CO-WORKER PUSHED THE SHELL AWAY SO HE COULD FREE HIMSELF.

2003 · 1 incident

November 12, 2003 IA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
S & G Materials · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

CUTTING STAIRWAY LOOSE FROM PLANT. HAD CRANE HOOKED ON, CUT LAST WELD, STAIRS POPPED LOOSE AND HANDRAIL HIT ME IN RIBS.

2002 · 1 incident

April 10, 2002 IA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
S & G Materials · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

I HOOKED A CABLE ON BACKHOE BUCKET AND STARTED BACK TO LOADER. WOKE UP IN HOSPITAL. ROCK CAUGHT CABLE, WHEN CABLE PULLED LOOSE IT HIT EE IN THE FACE AND THE HEAD. Y

1994 · 2 incidents

October 21, 1994 IA · Metal/Non-Metal barge/boat/dredge/towbarge/towboat/leach operator, riverman, deck hand HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
S & G Materials · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WAS CUTTING WIPER FOR CONVEYOR BELT, KNIFE SLIPPED & PUNCTURED ARM.

September 6, 1994 IA · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner MACHINERY
S & G Materials · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

ADJUSTING MOUNTS TO OBTAIN PROPER BELT TRACKING.HE LOST HIS FOOTING & GRABBED THE BELT & ENGAGEMENT LOVES AT THE SAME TIME CAUSING HIS HAND TO GO AROUND, TWO FINGERS WERE CRUSHED IN THE BELT ON HIS LEFT HAND.

1993 · 1 incident

June 25, 1993 IA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
S & G Materials · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HELPING GUIDE THE PUMP IN WHEN PUMP WAS PUSHED. ARM GOT CAUGHT BETWEEN DREDE AND PUMP.

1991 · 1 incident

February 21, 1991 IA · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
S & G Materials · Struck by falling object

INDIVIDUAL WAS LIFTING PLATE OF STEEL HE DROPPED IF AND IT FELL ON FOOT.