FMI Ajo Operations has $2K 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
21
Years on record
1983–2020
Latest incident
Feb 2020
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
12
citations
3
significant & substantial
$1,864
proposed penalties
$1,609
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $255 gap.
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: 69 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
FMI Ajo Operations has $2K 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
12 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $420 in penalties contested before the Commission, $165 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-06-05.
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.
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.
FMI Ajo Operations recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2000.
Injury rate, 2000
ⓘ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 4.77 and the all-US-mining average was 5.64 cases per 100 workers.
In Arizona, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 3.63 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.
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
2004
0
2003
0
2002
1
2001
10
2000
15
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
FMI Ajo Operations sits in Pima County, Arizona, where the Census mining category is 0.6% 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.
Pima County, Arizona · Population 1,049,947
0.6%
Mining share of county employment
$67,929
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
2004 Q1
0
0
0
2003 Q4
0
0
0
2003 Q3
0
0
0
2003 Q2
0
1
0
2003 Q1
0
0
0
2002 Q4
0
0
0
2002 Q3
0
0
0
2002 Q2
0
0
0
Show 9 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2002 Q1
2,258
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
2,145
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
2,808
8
3
2849.0
2001 Q2
7,097
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
7,620
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
7,232
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
7,629
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
7,369
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
7,458
3
0
402.3
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
21 on file
2020 · 1 incident
February 7, 2020AZ · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanPOWERED HAULAGE
Contract employee was assigned to MSHA jurisdiction project was delivering material picked up from the yard and a distribution site and was driving back to the job when the right rear tire failed causing the truck to roll over.
1999 · 1 incident
October 25, 1999AZ · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
THE EMPLOYEE WAS COMPLETING A PER OPERATION CHECK OF OUR WATER TRUCK (USED FOR DUST CONTROL ON ROADS) WHEN HE SLIPPED OFF THE MOUNTING STEP ANDFELL TO THE GROUND, HURTING HIS LEFT HIP, LEG AN D SHOULDER. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE CLINIC WHEN IT OPENED AT 8:00 AM.
AFTER CHECKING LOCKED DOOR AT HOSPITAL, SHE STEPPED TOO CLOSED TO FRONT OF STEP AND HER WEIGHT CAUSED HER FOOT TO SLIP OFF AND SHE LANDED HARD ON HER LEFT FOOT. LATER AFTER RETURNING TO GUARD SHACK HER FOOT STARTED HURTING. SHE FINISHED SHIFT AND AFTER REPORTING FOR WORK THE NEXT DAY WENT TO THE CLINIC
1997 · 1 incident
June 10, 1997AZ · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSTEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
EMP WAS IN PROCESS OF TURNING A SHOVEL DIPPER TOOTH ADAPTER OVER WEIGHT APPROX 300 LBS BY USING A 4 FT CHEATER BAR BAR SLIPPED AND THIS RESULTED IN A STRAINED BACK
May 4, 1984AZ · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
THE EMPLOYEE WAS STARTING A SPIKE AND WHEN THE HAMMER HIT THE HEAD OF THE SPIKE IT CONTINUED DOWNWARD AND HIT RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER SMASHING IT AGAINST THE TIE PLATE.
May 1, 1984AZ · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
THE EE & HIS CREW WERE PULLING SPIKES & PLUGGING HOLES. WHILE PLUGGING A HOLE THE EE\S HAND MADE CONTACT W/ A SHARP EDGE ON A RAIL R/R TRACK- CUTTING HIS LEFT RING FINGER.
April 26, 1984AZ · Metal/Non-Metalcoal/ore shovel operator, shoveler, power shovelerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
THE EMPLOYEE WAS STRAIGHTENING THE HOIST CABLES ON THE #2 SHOVEL. HE HAD STEPPED BEHIND THE HOIST DRUMS WITH A 20 POUND HAMMER IN ORDER TO TAP THE CABLES INTO THIER PROPER GROOVES. WHILE USING THE HAMMER, HIS RIGHT ELBOW STRUK A PIECE OF ANGLE IRON THAT FORMS THE COVER FOR THE MAGNA-TORQUE.
THE EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING SAND FROM AROUND THE FILTER PLANT. HE NOTICED A HALF-BURIED PIPE AND LACERATED HIS RIGHT INDEX FINGER WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE IT BY HAND.
1983 · 12 incidents
October 28, 1983AZ · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
EMPLOYEE WAS INSTALLING A DRAW BAR ON A LOCOMOTIVE. THIS JOB REQUIRED THE INSTALLATION OF A DRAFT GEAR PIN WHICH THE EMPLOYEE OOBTAINED AND LAID ON THE FLOOR BESIDE THE SERVICE PIT. THE EMPLO YEE THEN GOT INTO THE PIT TO ASSIST ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. SHORTLY AFTER HE WAS THERE, THE PIN ROLLED FROM THE FLOOR LEVEL INTO THE PIT (4\7")STRIKING THE EMPS LEFT FOOT. HE WAS NOT WEARING REQUIR
October 13, 1983AZ · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techOTHER
EMP WAS WATCHING THE CABLE CREW ONE LEVEL ABOVE HIM WHEN CREW TOSSED A CABLE DOWN TO THE EMP LEVEL A ROCK FELL ERATICALLY WHEN HE TURNED TO RUN THE EMP TRIPPED FELL AND SUFFERED A LACERATION TO HIS ELBOW
July 18, 1983AZ · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanDISORDERS (PHYSICAL AGENTS)
EMPLOYEE WAS HAMMERING SPIKES WHEN THE SPIKE HE WAS STARTING FLEW OUT OF THE TIE AND STRUCK HIS LEFT HAND BETWEEN HIS SECOND AND THIRD FINGERS INFLICTING A SMALL LACERATION
May 15, 1983AZ · Metal/Non-Metalassayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer managementHANDLING OF MATERIALS