Mining Incidents

359501: 38 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Raymond Ames
Morenci, Greenlee County, AZ  ·  Intermittent
MSHA Mine ID: 0203184

359501 has $5K 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
4
Years on record
2009–2024
Latest incident
Dec 2024
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
38
citations
7
significant & substantial
$4,791
proposed penalties
$4,791
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2007
30
inspections on record
338
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: 338 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

359501 has $5K 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
37 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $588 in penalties contested before the Commission, $232 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-11-05.
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.
18.4%
significant & substantial
2.6%
high negligence or reckless
18.4%
reasonably likely or greater
21.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 5.3% low, 92.1% moderate, 2.6% 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.
3 citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 67%
  • Vacated or withdrawn 1 · 33%
0%
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%
61%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$588 proposed, $232 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 2017-08-16.
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
WEST 2017-0629 Settlement Miller 2017 $588 → $232
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: 2024-06-04
17%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
13
samples
6
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz91 over
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg4
Show the individual readings (13)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2024-04-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 1.27 0.86 1.48 Utility Man
2024-06-04 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Utility Man
2024-04-03 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2024-04-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.51 0.69 0.74 Utility Man
2024-04-03 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.42 0.75 0.56 Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-02-13 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2019-02-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.23 Cleanup Man
2019-02-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.13 Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-02-13 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.3 Cleanup Man
2017-05-31 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.14 0.85 0.16 Supervisor, Co. Official
2017-05-31 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Front-end Loader Operator
2009-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.38 0.63 0.60 Crusher Oper/Worker
2009-05-12 Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz 0.88 1.43 0.62 Cleanup Man
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.

359501 recorded 4.62 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.
4.62
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above 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 Arizona, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.18 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 * 4.62 0.00 0.000
2023 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2022 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2019 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2018 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2009 * 7.39 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. Ames Construction Inc 2007 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2026 0
2025 8
2024 17
2023 7
2022 10
2021 11
2020 5
2019 11
2018 9
2017 5
2016 6
2015 17
2014 9
2009 8
2007 8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

359501 sits in Greenlee County, Arizona, where the Census mining category is 36.0% 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.
Greenlee County, Arizona · Population 9,452
36.0%
Mining share of county employment
$75,239
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 0 0 0
2025 Q4 1,477 1 0 677.0
2025 Q3 6,199 2 0 322.6
2025 Q2 1,957 0 0 0.0
2025 Q1 8,489 0 0 0.0
2024 Q4 6,552 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 12,775 0 0 0.0
2024 Q2 9,746 4 1 410.4
Show 39 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2024 Q1 14,234 0 0 0.0
2023 Q4 12,151 0 0 0.0
2023 Q3 9,551 1 0 104.7
2023 Q2 0 0 0
2023 Q1 1,351 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 1,509 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 3,880 4 0 1030.9
2022 Q2 7,630 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 9,332 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 9,600 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 3,000 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 1,400 0 0 0.0
2020 Q1 3,250 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 7,250 1 1 137.9
2019 Q3 6,750 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 6,980 0 0 0.0
2019 Q1 7,834 2 0 255.3
2018 Q4 5,940 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 7,200 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 7,623 7 4 918.3
2018 Q1 2,400 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 2,420 0 0 0.0
2017 Q3 4,290 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 3,575 4 0 1118.9
2017 Q1 2,750 0 0 0.0
2016 Q4 2,750 0 0 0.0
2016 Q3 4,719 1 0 211.9
2016 Q2 3,960 1 0 252.5
2015 Q3 8,960 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 11,055 3 0 271.4
2015 Q1 12,960 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 6,123 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 750 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 7,152 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 11,000 2 1 181.8
2009 Q2 6,080 1 0 164.5
2009 Q1 2,820 1 0 354.6
2007 Q4 1,320 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 5,964 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2024 · 1 incident

December 19, 2024 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman ELECTRICAL
Ames Construction Inc · Flash burns (electric)

At approximately 8:10 a.m. on Thursday December 19th, 2024. The employee was attempting to troubleshoot the Screen #2 Feed located in the Allen-Bradley Cabinet, when an Arc Flash occurred resulting in burns to EE's face.

2015 · 2 incidents

July 21, 2015 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Ames Construction Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The employee was cutting belting with a utility knife and cut leg. The knife slipped and cut leg.

March 19, 2015 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
Ames Construction Inc · Struck by falling object

The employee was injured when an implement tool dropped onto his Right foot. There were several employees in the process of changing the implement tool when this happened.

2009 · 1 incident

May 3, 2009 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Ames Construction Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The employee was replacing screens on a crusher plant. As he tightened a bolt with an impact wrench he got his finger on the end of the bolt. As ee spun the bolt with the impact wrench, the head caused a laceration to the end of his finger.