RHEX Vernal Mine has had no fatalities among 10 reportable incidents since 2020. MSHA has proposed $68K in penalties since 2019, with $796 outstanding.
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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: 559 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: 2022-11-15.
On record since 2022.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
RHEX Vernal Mine has $68K in proposed MSHA penalties and $796 outstanding across 2 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.
$68K
proposed penalties
$59K
current assessed
$58K
paid to date
$796
outstanding
76 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $17K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-23.
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.
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.
2citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
54%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$17K proposed, $8K 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 2025-08-05.
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.
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: 2026-03-24
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
4
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg6
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (11)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2026-03-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Washer Operator
2026-03-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2026-03-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2026-03-24
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.19
0.52
0.37
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2025-04-16
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
0.64
0.27
Kiln/Dryer Operator
2025-04-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Washer Operator
2024-09-25
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.15
0.42
0.36
Crusher Oper/Worker
2024-09-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2024-09-25
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
0.79
0.22
Crusher Oper/Worker
2019-07-24
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2019-07-24
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.56
Laborer, Bullgang
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.
RHEX Vernal Mine recorded 3.83 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year. Employment reports reach back to 1983, but those earlier years come from MSHA's archived file format and are not used in rates.
3.83
total case rate
3.83
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.98 cases per 100 workers.
In Utah, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.92 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
2025 *
3.83
3.83
0.000
2024
3.67
1.22
0.000
2023
4.79
1.20
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
23
2025
22
2024
65
2023
68
2022
20
2021
14
2020
12
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly; years before 2000 come from MSHA's archived Part 50 employment files.
RHEX Vernal Mine sits in Uintah County, Utah, where the Census mining category is 12.5% 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.
Uintah County, Utah · Population 36,458
12.5%
Mining share of county employment
$69,861
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; earlier incidents are counted but not rate-adjusted, though reported hours reach back to 1983. 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
13,620
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
11,005
4
0
363.5
2025 Q4
15,008
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
9,310
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
14,166
6
1
423.5
2025 Q1
13,787
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
35,362
5
0
141.4
2024 Q3
46,534
3
1
64.5
Show 15 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
41,645
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
39,894
11
3
275.7
2023 Q4
47,129
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
44,250
4
4
90.4
2023 Q2
41,204
14
3
339.8
2023 Q1
34,276
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
20,073
11
4
548.0
2022 Q3
15,185
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
15,034
3
0
199.5
2022 Q1
13,476
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
10,242
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
14,267
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
5,467
4
3
731.7
2021 Q1
2,909
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
911
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2025 · 1 incident
May 30, 2025UT · Metal/Non-Metalcrusher attendant/operator, pan feeder operator/workerMACHINERY
10'x 4' metal sheet was being placed in crusher hopper when weld failed holding lifting device. Metal dropped approximately 8" landing on operators left foot above the steel toe. This broke 4 bones in top of operators foot.
Show 9 earlier incidentsHide earlier incidents
2024 · 3 incidents
October 26, 2024UT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Repairing sheet metal on exterior of mechanic shop. miner was install small piece of sheet metal. while putting a screw in it the metal spun and cut EE's left index finger.
August 20, 2024UT · Metal/Non-Metalcrusher attendant/operator, pan feeder operator/workerMACHINERY
Plant manager was washing a process pump with a pressure washer. They got their RH middle finger in front of the HP water jet cutting the skin on the finger. Today 2/29/2024 they needed to receive treatment and antibiotics for infection.
2023 · 5 incidents
December 21, 2023UT · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mechanic was exiting A60H haul truck lost footing slipped and fell to the ground. landed on shoulder and side. Hurt shoulder went to urgent care got x-rays nothing visible in x-ray will return for follow-up. When swelling goes down.
While hammering a bucket conveyor door closed after cleaning chute company employee struck own left index finger tip. Received 7 stitches to finger tip. Prescribed antibiotics. ibuprofen.
August 9, 2023UT · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
While removing backhoe bucket tooth, mechanic struck top of tooth with sledge hammer. A small piece of metal came off the tooth and hit mechanic in right upper thigh and entered their thigh about 1". Sliver was about 3/4 " long and 1/16th wide. Metal was stuck in leg required removal at Instacare and 3 stitches.
April 15, 2023UT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
While greasing bearings caught RH middle finger between pully and drive belt.
2020 · 1 incident
May 26, 2020UT · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Conditions were good with mild temperatures, dry footing and good lighting. The accident occurred while the miner was installing a new belt on a belt press. There was an identified opening in the working platform that the miner was aware of and mis-stepped and fell through the opening. Operations were impaired during the time the miner was cared for and EMT's were on site.
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