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.
197 citations across 1,612 inspection hours.
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: 2019-12-03.
On record since 2019.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Empire Mine has $120K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2 outstanding across 4 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.
$120K
proposed penalties
$99K
current assessed
$99K
paid to date
$2
outstanding
194 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $35K in penalties contested before the Commission, $13K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-01-15.
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.
16citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
12 · 75%
Vacated or withdrawn
4 · 25%
83%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
72%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$30K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2026-03-04.
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: 2022-07-27, 4 years ago
11%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
23
samples
18
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz162 over
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (23)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2006-11-08
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
15.67
10
1.57
Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-04-05
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
23.64
10
2.36
Crusher Oper/Worker
2022-07-27
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.15
Front-end Loader Operator
2022-07-27
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.16
Truck Driver
2022-07-27
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.48
Crusher Oper/Worker
2018-11-02
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.55
Laborer, Bullgang
2015-12-15
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.19
10
0.02
Front-end Loader Operator
2009-02-25
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2009-02-25
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.48
2.47
0.19
Crusher Oper/Worker
2007-04-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.13
10
0.01
Front-end Loader Operator
2007-04-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.3
10
0.03
Truck Driver
2007-04-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.13
10
0.01
Truck Driver
2007-04-26
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.26
10
0.03
Crusher Oper/Worker
2006-11-08
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
8.76
10
0.88
Crusher Oper/Worker
2006-11-08
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
1.69
10
0.17
Truck Driver
2006-11-08
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.4
10
0.04
Front-end Loader Operator
2005-09-29
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
6.24
10
0.62
Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-09-29
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
6.62
10
0.66
Crusher Oper/Worker
2005-04-05
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
1.16
10
0.12
Truck Driver
2005-04-05
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
2.08
10
0.21
Drill Operator, Rotary
2003-05-21
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
2.34
10
0.23
Front-end Loader Operator
2003-05-21
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0
10
0.00
Truck Driver
2003-05-21
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
0.17
10
0.02
Crusher Oper/Worker
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.
Empire Mine recorded 0.00 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, when quarterly employment reporting starts, and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Nevada, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.25 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018 *
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
62
2025
61
2024
51
2023
29
2022
53
2021
34
2020
30
2019
32
2018
35
2017
29
2016
11
2015
6
2010
12
2009
12
2008
13
2007
13
2006
14
2005
13
2004
10
2003
12
2002
16
2001
16
2000
16
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Empire Mine sits in Pershing County, Nevada, where the Census mining category is 20.4% 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.
Pershing County, Nevada · Population 6,505
20.4%
Mining share of county employment
$72,007
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
At 9:52 am I received a call from my maintenance supervisor that the maintenance supervisor had found one of our customer OTR driver not breathing and possibly deceased. I went to the location pulled driver out of truck and placed on the ground and began CPR until paramedics arrived.
January 18, 2017NV · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was standing by hydraulic support leg of 6' X 24' High Frequency Screen Plant that was being loaded for transport. Once the support pin hole was lined up, the employee attempted to put the pin in the hole. The employee slipped on icy ground (dirt/gravel) and got finger caught between the pin and the support foot pad as the hydraulic leg was raising.
2007 · 1 incident
June 28, 2007NV · Metal/Non-Metalbelt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Foreman was assisting a Mechanic with the removal of a transmission skid plate/Belly Pan from a Bulldozer. The Pan was rigged to prevent movement; as the last bolt was removed the Pan dropped and pinned the foreman?s right hand between the bulldozer?s track housing and the belly pan. He sustained 2 lacerations at the right wrist area which required sutures to close.
1996 · 1 incident
April 18, 1996NV · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EMPLOYEE AND WITNESS WERE ATTEMPTING TO LOAD A 24:00X35 HAUL TRUCK TIRE FROM THE TIRE STORAGE BY TIPPING IT INTO A LOADER BUCKET. THE INJURED EMPLOYEE SLIPPED AND THE TIRE ROLLED TOWARDS HIM, PINNING HIS LEFT ARM AGAINST THHE TIRE IN THE NEXT STORAGE ROW. EMPLOYEE FRACTURED THE RADUIS OF LEFT ARM.
1992 · 1 incident
December 19, 1992NV · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
EMPLOYEE WAS ATTEMPTING TO WELD ON ROCK BREAKER FRAME WHILE THE EQUIPMENT WAS OPERATING. EMPLOYEE LOST BALANCE AND HIS LEFT ARM WENT BETWEEN THE ROCK BREAKER FRAME AND HYDRAULIC CYLINDER AND W AS PINCHED CAUSING CONTUSION AND TWO PUNCTURES, BUT NO BROKEN BONES.
1990 · 1 incident
September 11, 1990NV · Metal/Non-Metalmine manager, mine foreman, mine ownerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
A PIVOTING JEWEL CAME OUT OF THE WALKER BAR ASSEMBLY ALLOWING THE BAR TO DROP OUT OF POSITION.THE INJURED WAS ASSISITING IN THE REPOSITIONING OF THE WALKER BAR.HE PLACED HIS HAND ON THE JEWEL POCKET TO REMOVE A ROCK WHEN THE BAR,WHICH HE WAS ATTACHING TO A CHAIN FALL,DROPPED AND PINCHED HIS HAND.THIS CAUSED LACERATIONS TO THE BACK OF HIS AHND AND POSSIBLE HAIRLINE FRACTURE OF SIDE