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Sand and Gravel Mining Facts - 2001 

1. In 2001, a total of 7,131 sand and gravel mining operations reported employment statistics to the Mine 

Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). 

Sand and gravel mines comprised 48.8% of all mining operations, the largest percentage of all mining 

sectors.1 

Sand and gravel mines are distributed throughout all 50 states. 

The median number of operator employees per sand and gravel mine was 3.0.2

 

2. A total of 36,957 employees, corresponding to 33,544 full-time equivalent (FTE)3

 employees, was reported by 

sand and gravel operators. This is a 1.4% decrease in FTE employees from 2000. 

• About 12% of all employee hours reported to MSHA were among sand and gravel operators employees.

3. Eight work-related fatalities occurred among sand and gravel miners in 2001, compared to 11 in 2000. 

• The fatality rate among sand and gravel operator employees was 23.8 per 100,000 FTE employees. 

• The fatality rate per 100,000 FTEs for dredge employees was 42.5 (n = 2), compared to 20.8 for all other 

surface sand and gravel mine operator employees.

4. There were 881 nonfatal lost-time injuries among sand and gravel employees occurring at a rate of 2.6 per 100 

FTE employees. A total of 45,894 days lost from work resulted from these injuries.4 

• The mean and median days lost from work among sand and gravel employees with nonfatal lost-time injuries 

were 52.1 and 11.0 days, respectively. 

• Among the most frequently reported types of incidents (greater than 10% of total), the most severe 

injuries (as measured by the median number of days lost from work) were associated with handling 

materials (n = 320, median = 13.0), slips or falls (n = 232, median = 12.5), hand tools (n = 103, median = 10.0), 

and powered haulage (n = 89, median = 9.0). 

• Sprains and strains were the most prevalent injury (41.2%). Among those injury categories with greater 

than 10% of total injuries, the most severe was fractures and chips (n = 100, median = 33.0). The back was 

the most frequently reported part of the body injured (19.1%). Back injuries represented 5,151 days lost 

from work in sand and gravel operator employees. 

• Among sand and gravel operator employees, those with a job title of laborer/utility man/bull gang had the 

greatest number of nonfatal lost-time injuries (n = 150, 17.0%), followed by those classified as 

mechanic/repairman/helper (n = 139, 15.8%).

5. Thirty-eight cases of occupational illness were reported to MSHA for sand and gravel employees. 

• The most frequently reported illness was associated with repeated trauma, of which 15 were joint, muscle, 

or tendon irritation or inflammation (39.5%).

• Despite use of noisy equipment by sand and gravel miners, only two cases of hearing loss or impairment were 

reported to MSHA in 2001. 

1 Mining sectors: coal operators, metal operators, nonmetal operators, stone operators, sand and gravel operators, coal contractors, and noncoal 

 contractors. 2

Excludes office employees. 3

Computed using reported employee hours (2,000 hours = 1 FTE); excludes office employees. 4 Includes actual days away from work and/or days of restricted work activity. For permanently disabling injuries only, statutory days charged by 

 MSHA were used if they exceeded the total lost workdays. 

July 2003
Delivering on the Nation's Promise:

Safety and health at work for all people 

Through research and prevention 

For information about occupational safety and health topics contact NIOSH at: 

 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674) 

 Fax: 513-533-8573 

 E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov 

 www.cdc.gov/niosh 

SAFER • HEALTHIER • PEOPLETM

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-134