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: 879 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 Seam mine has $6K 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.
$6K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$6K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
40 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $20K in penalties contested before the Commission, $20K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-04-07.
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.
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: 2022-04-13, 4 years ago
2
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Respirable dust, <.1mg1
Show the individual readings (2)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2022-04-13
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.12
Laborer, Bullgang
2021-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Scaling (hand)
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2026
7
2025
8
2024
8
2023
6
2022
4
2021
4
2020
5
2012
6
2011
5
2010
5
2009
6
2008
6
2007
4
2006
5
2005
6
2004
5
2003
5
2002
5
2001
5
2000
3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Big Seam mine sits in Placer County, California, where the Census mining category is 0.1% 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.
Placer County, California · Population 412,435
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$114,678
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
The miner was hanging a 1.75" flexible conduit over a peg when the rubber housing stuck at the top of the peg and did not fall into the back of the peg. Using right fist with the thumb pointed at themselves, the miner attempted to set the cable when a perfect razor-sharp tooth of rock went through gloves into the side of hand where the palm meets the pinky finger.