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: 192 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Big Ledge Mine has $37K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$37K
proposed penalties
$35K
current assessed
$35K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
24 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $462 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-09-17.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 13% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 67%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 33%
78%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $462 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2011-12-20.
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2017
0
2016
2
2015
2
2014
1
2013
2
2012
5
2011
2
2009
1
2008
3
2007
7
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Big Ledge Mine sits in Elko County, Nevada, where the Census mining category is 19.6% 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.
Elko County, Nevada · Population 53,852
19.6%
Mining share of county employment
$83,427
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
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
345
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
366
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
258
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
488
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
2,383
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
622
0
0
0.0
Show 24 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
20
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
124
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
70
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
0
0
0
2013 Q4
91
1
0
10989.0
2013 Q3
174
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
445
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
623
1
0
1605.1
2012 Q4
1,015
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
3,439
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
720
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
75
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
720
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
720
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
400
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
232
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
120
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
240
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
151
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
482
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
721
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
344
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
446
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
5 on file
2012 · 2 incidents
July 23, 2012NV · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
After starting the blade the employee stepped on the tire to get down. The tire was covered with frost & his foot slipped. He fell & landed on his hands, which jammed his elbow. He felt that everything was fine at the time but the elbow got worse. He sought medical treatment on 02/13/2009. An x-ray revealed that the end of his elbow had a small fracture.
2008 · 2 incidents
July 14, 2008NV · Metal/Non-Metalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorMACHINERY