FRICK MINE has $58K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
1998
Latest incident
Oct 1998
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
155
citations
26
significant & substantial
$57,938
proposed penalties
$55,881
paid to date
96% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,057 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
85
inspections on record
847
inspection hours
n/a
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: 847 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: 2016-04-18.
On record since 2016.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
FRICK MINE has $58K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 6 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.
$58K
proposed penalties
$56K
current assessed
$56K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
149 assessments are final orders; 6 contested dockets.
Of $29K in penalties contested before the Commission, $27K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-04-03.
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.
9citations taken to the federal commission · 6% of citations on record
Settled
6 · 67%
Stood as issued
3 · 33%
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 7 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
7%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$29K proposed, $27K 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 2016-08-31.
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: 2023-09-20
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
11
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg8
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (11)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2023-09-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2021-06-08
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2014-10-16
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2009-06-12
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-07-28
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.13
Mechanic
2004-07-28
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2004-07-28
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Mechanic
2002-05-29
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
0.62
0.27
Front-end Loader Operator
2002-05-29
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
0.34
0.50
Truck Driver
2002-05-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2002-05-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Supervisor, Co. Official
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
4
2025
3
2024
2
2023
2
2022
2
2021
2
2020
2
2019
2
2018
1
2017
5
2016
3
2015
3
2014
4
2013
4
2012
3
2011
4
2010
4
2009
4
2008
5
2007
4
2006
5
2005
5
2004
5
2003
4
2002
5
2001
5
2000
5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
FRICK MINE sits in Lexington County, South Carolina, 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.
Lexington County, South Carolina · Population 300,370
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$75,014
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
2026 Q2
1,628
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
1,328
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
1,197
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
799
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
1,085
1
0
921.7
2025 Q1
1,044
1
0
957.9
2024 Q4
1,010
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
660
0
0
0.0
Show 94 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
674
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
674
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
664
2
1
3012.0
2023 Q3
664
5
0
7530.1
2023 Q2
684
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
670
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
695
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
710
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
676
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
877
8
0
9122.0
2021 Q4
826
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
572
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
498
3
0
6024.1
2021 Q1
461
8
1
17353.6
2020 Q4
453
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
453
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
450
2
0
4444.4
2020 Q1
864
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
541
1
0
1848.4
2019 Q3
532
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
532
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
590
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
550
2
0
3636.4
2018 Q3
536
1
0
1865.7
2018 Q2
572
2
0
3496.5
2018 Q1
505
4
1
7920.8
2017 Q4
584
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
568
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
626
4
0
6389.8
2017 Q1
809
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
718
4
0
5571.0
2016 Q3
817
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
849
11
7
12956.4
2016 Q1
823
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
972
7
0
7201.6
2015 Q3
1,020
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
1,097
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
958
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
985
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
948
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
913
3
1
3285.9
2013 Q4
926
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
1,099
2
0
1819.8
2013 Q2
1,045
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
541
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
1,244
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
1,288
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
581
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
1,415
3
0
2120.1
2011 Q2
1,433
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
1,161
3
1
2584.0
2010 Q4
1,314
2
2
1522.1
2010 Q3
1,541
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
1,461
2
0
1368.9
2009 Q4
84
8
0
95238.1
2009 Q3
1,220
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
3,650
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
3,721
3
0
806.2
2008 Q4
1,803
1
0
554.6
2008 Q3
1,933
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
1,807
2
1
1106.8
2008 Q1
3,961
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
2,311
2
1
865.4
2007 Q3
2,254
2
0
887.3
2007 Q2
2,250
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
2,177
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
1,977
2
1
1011.6
2006 Q3
1,781
1
0
561.5
2006 Q2
3,103
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
3,080
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
3,166
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
3,316
2
1
603.1
2005 Q2
3,281
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
4,137
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
3,847
3
1
779.8
2004 Q3
3,690
17
0
4607.0
2004 Q2
3,722
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
3,563
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
3,269
4
0
1223.6
2003 Q3
3,127
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
2,947
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
2,761
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
3,127
1
1
319.8
2002 Q3
2,988
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
3,143
7
2
2227.2
2002 Q1
2,461
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
2,329
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
2,716
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
2,626
12
2
4569.7
2001 Q1
2,631
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
2,591
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
2,680
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
2,765
2
1
723.3
2000 Q1
2,692
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
1998 · 1 incident
October 21, 1998SC · Metal/Non-Metalmine manager, mine foreman, mine ownerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON