Mining Incidents

Worcester Sand & Stone: 396 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Worcester Sand & Stone · Surface
Shrewsbury, Worcester County, MA  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1900956

Worcester Sand & Stone has $474K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 20 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Worcester Sand & Stone.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
7
Years on record
1983–2005
Latest incident
Oct 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
396
citations
123
significant & substantial
$474,421
proposed penalties
$339,099
paid to date
71% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $135,322 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
84
inspections on record
1,570
inspection hours
25.2
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.
396 citations across 1,570 inspection hours.
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: 2013-04-08.
On record since 2012.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.

Worcester Sand & Stone has $474K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 20 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.
$474K
proposed penalties
$343K
current assessed
$339K
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
372 assessments are final orders; 20 contested dockets.
Of $393K in penalties contested before the Commission, $257K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-30.
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.
31.7%
significant & substantial
8.0%
high negligence or reckless
31.7%
reasonably likely or greater
52.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 25.0% low, 67.0% moderate, 7.5% high, 0.5% 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.
128 citations taken to the federal commission · 32% of citations on record
  • Settled 121 · 95%
  • Stood as issued 3 · 2%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 4 · 3%
80%
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 56 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$393K proposed, $257K 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 2023-04-24.
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
YORK 2014-0105 Settlement Moran 2015 $139K → $128K
YORK 2014-0106 Settlement Moran 2015 $70K → $28K
YORK 2015-0148 Settlement Moran 2016 $60K → $25K
YORK 2013-140M Settlement Moran 2013 $42K → $21K
YORK 2013-175M Settlement Moran 2014 $24K → $14K
YORK 2013-139M Settlement Lesnick 2014 $12K → $8K
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: 2026-03-12
10%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
30
samples
20
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz202 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg7
  • Aluminum oxide fumes1
  • Arsenic fumes1
Show the individual readings (44)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2009-12-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.59 0.47 1.26 Belt Cleaner
2001-09-20 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.77 0.43 1.79 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2026-03-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2026-03-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2026-03-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-10-06 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.16 Crusher Oper/Worker
2020-10-06 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.18 Front-end Loader Operator
2020-10-06 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.43 0.76 0.57 Laborer, Bullgang
2016-01-27 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 0.62 0.35 Crusher Oper/Worker
2016-01-27 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Laborer, Bullgang
2011-05-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2010-04-27 Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz 0.17 Crusher Oper/Worker
2010-04-27 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.15 0.66 0.23 Belt Cleaner
2010-04-27 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.15 0.35 0.43 Belt Cleaner
2009-12-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.23 1.39 0.17 Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-12-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.36 0.53 0.68 Belt Cleaner
2004-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 0.42 0.31 Belt Cleaner
2004-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 0.51 0.43 Crusher Oper/Worker
2004-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.57 0.75 0.76 Front-end Loader Operator
2004-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.22 0.53 0.42 Belt Cleaner
2004-05-12 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2003-06-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.35 0.7 0.50 Crusher Oper/Worker
2003-06-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.34 0.49 0.69 Laborer, Bullgang
2003-06-19 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.37 0.46 0.80 Laborer, Bullgang
2003-06-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Truck Driver
2002-04-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.17 1.19 0.14 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2001-09-20 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.23 0.31 0.74 Dry Screen Plant Operator
2001-05-02 Vanadium fumes 0 50 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Titanium dioxide fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Nickel fumes 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Molybdenum fumes 0 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Manganese fumes 0.02 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Magnesium oxide fumes 0.01 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Lead fumes 0 150 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Cobalt fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Chromium, insoluble 0 1 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Cadmium oxide fumes 0 100 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Beryllium fumes 0 2 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Arsenic fumes 0 500 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Aluminum oxide fumes 0.03 10 0.00 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.46 0.59 0.78 Crusher Oper/Worker
2001-05-02 Copper fumes 1.23 100 0.01 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Iron oxide fumes 0.25 10 0.03 Welder, etc.
2001-05-02 Zinc oxide fumes 0.02 5 0.00 Welder, etc.
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.

Worcester Sand & Stone 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 Massachusetts, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.93 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
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
2016 * 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. Worcester Sand & Gravel Company Inc 1950 to 2020
  2. Worcester Sand & Stone 2020 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 4
2025 9
2024 18
2023 23
2022 27
2021 22
2020 20
2019 24
2018 23
2017 25
2016 24
2015 24
2014 17
2013 17
2012 15
2011 14
2010 17
2009 19
2008 21
2007 20
2006 19
2005 13
2004 7
2003 7
2002 8
2001 8
2000 9
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Worcester Sand & Stone sits in Worcester County, Massachusetts, 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.
Worcester County, Massachusetts · Population 861,664
0.0%
Mining share of county employment
$93,561
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 1,176 10 1 8503.4
2026 Q1 1,176 12 1 10204.1
2025 Q4 4,320 0 0 0.0
2025 Q3 3,840 0 0 0.0
2025 Q2 1,728 9 2 5208.3
2025 Q1 8,100 2 0 246.9
2024 Q4 8,721 1 0 114.7
2024 Q3 7,790 3 0 385.1
Show 98 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2 5,938 0 0 0.0
2024 Q1 6,231 3 0 481.5
2023 Q4 6,112 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 1,208 1 1 827.8
2023 Q2 8,786 4 1 455.3
2023 Q1 2,848 5 0 1755.6
2022 Q4 1,992 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 19,650 6 0 305.3
2022 Q2 9,857 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 8,229 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 9,666 5 2 517.3
2021 Q3 7,880 0 0 0.0
2021 Q2 8,982 2 0 222.7
2021 Q1 8,174 0 0 0.0
2020 Q4 7,924 1 0 126.2
2020 Q3 8,156 6 0 735.7
2020 Q2 8,035 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 4,277 1 0 233.8
2019 Q4 9,088 0 0 0.0
2019 Q3 8,742 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 9,594 4 0 416.9
2019 Q1 9,487 2 0 210.8
2018 Q4 9,496 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 9,155 2 0 218.5
2018 Q2 8,449 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 7,831 2 0 255.4
2017 Q4 9,892 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 11,942 3 1 251.2
2017 Q2 10,456 0 0 0.0
2017 Q1 9,865 4 0 405.5
2016 Q4 11,016 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 11,546 5 3 433.1
2016 Q2 11,177 0 0 0.0
2016 Q1 8,477 6 1 707.8
2015 Q4 9,534 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 10,132 15 4 1480.5
2015 Q2 8,541 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 6,011 30 11 4990.9
2014 Q4 9,419 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 9,357 5 3 534.4
2014 Q2 8,823 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 7,979 7 2 877.3
2013 Q4 10,563 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 9,481 5 4 527.4
2013 Q2 8,024 34 13 4237.3
2013 Q1 6,136 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 8,581 41 15 4778.0
2012 Q3 8,344 6 2 719.1
2012 Q2 7,746 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 8,281 23 12 2777.4
2011 Q4 9,366 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 7,296 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 8,645 6 1 694.0
2011 Q1 6,537 4 0 611.9
2010 Q4 7,994 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 8,690 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 7,239 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 6,055 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 9,735 18 10 1849.0
2009 Q3 10,775 0 0 0.0
2009 Q2 9,095 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 10,045 0 0 0.0
2008 Q4 11,585 13 3 1122.1
2008 Q3 10,829 4 1 369.4
2008 Q2 10,388 7 1 673.9
2008 Q1 8,667 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 9,650 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 5,204 9 2 1729.4
2007 Q2 7,724 0 0 0.0
2007 Q1 8,891 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 10,194 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 9,747 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 10,603 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 7,301 4 2 547.9
2005 Q4 15,170 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 7,670 14 5 1825.3
2005 Q2 6,820 1 0 146.6
2005 Q1 3,028 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 2,967 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 4,049 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 4,150 11 6 2650.6
2004 Q1 4,235 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 4,583 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 4,285 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 4,288 16 7 3731.3
2003 Q1 3,901 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 4,196 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 3,914 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 4,686 4 0 853.6
2002 Q1 4,568 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 4,892 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 4,818 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 4,763 14 4 2939.3
2001 Q1 4,682 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 4,829 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 5,395 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 6,006 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 4,802 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

7 on file

2005 · 1 incident

October 24, 2005 MA · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) MACHINERY
Worcester Sand & Gravel Company Inc · Contact with hot objects or substances

WELDER WAS WELDING ON PLANT, A PIECE OF METAL SPARKED OFF AND WENT INTO HELMET FROM ABOVE, AND HIT WELDER IN THE EYE SEARING HIS INNER EYE LEFT EYE LID AND ADHERING THE METAL FRAGMENT TO THE INNER EYE LID.

2001 · 1 incident

June 13, 2001 MA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator ELECTRICAL
Worcester Sand & Gravel Company Inc · Flash burns (electric)

EMPLOYEE RECEIVED BURN ON HIS ARM FROM A FLASH BACK OF FUSE BOX.

1998 · 1 incident

1996 · 1 incident

July 20, 1996 MA · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON

INJURED MAN WAS WORKING AT HIS JOB AS A MECHANICWHILE WORKING ON DUMP TRUCK, HE SLIPPED OFF BATTERY BOX WHILE CLIMBING ON TO THE TRUCK AND FELL TO GROUND.

1991 · 1 incident

January 16, 1991 MA · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Worcester Sand & Gravel Company Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

INJURED MAN WAS WORKING ON A DOZER AT HIS JOB OF MECHANIC. THE WRENCH SLIPPED CAUSING INJURY TO HIS RIGHT HAND INDEX FINGER.

1988 · 1 incident

December 29, 1988 MA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Worcester Sand & Gravel Company Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

INJ WALKING AROUND PLANT AREA..SLIPPED & FELL TO GROUND HURTING RIGHT HAND.

1983 · 1 incident

December 9, 1983 MA · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Worcester Sand & Gravel Company Inc · Contact with hot objects or substances

IT WAS A COLD ICEY DAY, HE HAD SPILLED GAS ON HIS CLOTHING AFTER HAVING GASSED UP THE CRANE. THEN HE WENT TO THE SAND & GRA V EL PLANT, WHERE A FIRE HAD BEEN STARTED TO THAW OUT SOME MACHINE RY HE SLIPPED ON THE ICE AND FELL INTO THE FIRE, HIS CLOTHES CAUGHT ON FIRE AND HE WAS BURNED