DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

September 2008

SAND & GRAVEL OPERATOR 

MINING FACTS – 2005

Mining Operations 

In 2005, a total of 7,111 sand and gravel mining 

operations reported employment to the Mine Safety 

and Health Administration (MSHA). 

• Sand and gravel mines were the largest mining 

sector, comprising 48.5% of all mining operations. 

• Sand and gravel mines were found throughout all 

50 states and Puerto Rico. 

Employees 

A total of 37,705 employees,1

 corresponding to 

34,258 full-time equivalent (FTE)2

 employees, were 

reported by sand and gravel mine operators.

• Within the mining sectors,3 sand and gravel mine 

operator employees accounted for 11.9% of all 

employee hours reported to MSHA. 

0

50

100

150

200

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Number of Employee Hours

(millions)

Coal Operator Metal Operator Nonmetal Operator

Stone Operator Sand & Gravel Oper Coal Contractor

Noncoal Contractor

Fatalities 

Nine occupational fatalities occurred among sand 

and gravel operator employees in 2005. This compared to eight fatalities in 2004. 

• The sand and gravel mine operator fatality rate 

was 26.3 fatalities per 100,000 FTE employees. 

• In 2005, 33.3% of the sand and gravel fatalities 

occurred to employees with the MSHA job title 

of “laborer/utility man/bull gang.” 

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Number of Fatalities

0

6

12

18

24

30

36

Fatality Rate

(per 100,000 Full-time Equivalent Employees)

Number Rate

Nonfatal Lost-time Injuries 

There were 841 nonfatal lost-time injuries among 

sand and gravel operator employees occurring at a 

rate of 2.5 injuries per 100 FTE employees. A total 

of 51,043 days lost4

 from work resulted from these 

injuries. 

• The most frequent classifications of nonfatal 

lost-time injuries for sand and gravel operator 

employees involved handling materials (n=272; 

32.3%) and slip or fall of person (n=243; 

28.9%). 

• Sprains and strains were the most frequently 

reported nature of injury (n=369; 43.9%). 

• The back was the most frequently reported body 

part injured (n=158; 18.8%), followed by fingers 

(n=114; 13.6%). Back injuries represented 7,765 

days lost from work; finger injuries represented 

3,239 days lost. 

Distribution of Nonfatal Lost-time Injuries

by Accident Class, 2001-2005

10% 9% 6%

28% 35%

12% Handling materials

Slip or fall of person

Hand tools

Powered haulage

Machinery

All other

Note: "Fall of ground" includes MSHA's Accident/Injury/Illness classification for fall of face, rib, pillar, 

side, or highwall (from in place); fall of roof, back, or brow (from in place); and underground 

machinery cases when the source of injury was caving rock, coal, ore, or waste.
TM 

Mining Characteristics, 2005 

Commodity and 

Type of Employer 

No. of 

Mines 

No. of 

Companies 

No. of 

Employees1

No. of FTE

Employees2 Fatality Rate 

Nonfatal 

Lost-time 

Injury Rate 

Coal Operator 2,063 -- 78,281 87,184 19.5 3.5 

Metal Operator 263 -- 26,442 27,773 18.0 2.4 

Nonmetal Operator 739 -- 19,678 20,014 20.0 2.5 

Stone Operator 4,490 -- 69,759 73,650 20.4 3.1 

Sand and Gravel Operator 7,111 -- 37,705 34,258 26.3 2.5 

Operator Total 14,666 -- 231,865 242,879 20.6 3.0 

Coal Contractor -- 2,503 32,639 20,136 24.8 2.7 

Noncoal Contractor -- 4,297 46,623 25,590 7.8 1.6 

Contractor Total -- 6,800 79,262 45,726 15.3 2.1 

TOTAL 311,127 288,605 19.8 2.9 

Fatality rates were computed per 100,000 FTE employees. Nonfatal lost-time injury rates were computed per 100 FTE employees. 

Data source: Publicly released files of employment and accident/injury/illness data collected by MSHA under 30 CFR 50. 

Notes: All analyses exclude office employees, except for the total number of mining operations. Analyses of fatalities exclude all 

individuals under 17 years of age and all individuals who were not classified as employees of a mining operator or mining contractor. 

Further statistical methodology is available on the NIOSH Internet [http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/method.htm]. 1

Number of employees is the average number of persons working at individual establishments during calendar quarters of active 

 operations. 

2

Full-time equivalent employees were computed using reported employee hours (2,000 hours = 1 FTE). 

3

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

 noncoal contractors. 

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. 

To receive NIOSH documents or for more information about 

occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at 

1–800–CDC–INFO (1–800–232–4636) 

1–888–232–6348 (TTY) 

e-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

or visit the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2008-154 

SAFER • HEALTHIER • PEOPLE