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: 501 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Howe Pit has $22K 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.
$22K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
107 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $11K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-04-06.
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.
19citations taken to the federal commission · 17% of citations on record
Settled
4 · 21%
Stood as issued
15 · 79%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$11K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2005-03-29.
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: 2006-04-06, 20 years ago
50%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
5
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz21 over
Respirable dust, <.1mg3
Show the individual readings (5)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2001-11-08
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.76
0.79
2.23
Cleanup Man
2006-04-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2006-04-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2002-04-30
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.42
0.73
0.58
Belt Cleaner
2001-11-08
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Belt Cleaner
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.
Howe Pit recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.
Injury rate, 2006
ⓘ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
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 3.41 and the all-US-mining average was 3.91 cases per 100 workers.
In Colorado, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 4.72 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.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2006 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2005 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004 *
18.09
0.00
0.000
2003 *
2.11
2.11
0.000
2002 *
5.10
0.00
0.000
2001 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2000 *
4.85
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
2006
12
2005
26
2004
35
2003
24
2002
22
2001
21
2000
19
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Howe Pit sits in Adams County, Colorado, where the Census mining category is 0.9% 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.
Adams County, Colorado · Population 524,408
0.9%
Mining share of county employment
$91,387
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
2006 Q4
4,725
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
4,707
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
5,915
9
1
1521.6
2006 Q1
11,015
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
10,235
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
15,897
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
18,114
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
18,157
0
0
0.0
Show 20 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2004 Q4
19,212
4
2
208.2
2004 Q3
17,453
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
19,291
14
2
725.7
2004 Q1
21,439
18
5
839.6
2003 Q4
24,323
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
26,768
7
1
261.5
2003 Q2
25,295
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
18,384
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
23,074
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
21,561
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
20,167
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
13,705
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
14,709
8
4
543.9
2001 Q3
14,074
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
15,675
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
14,854
30
5
2019.7
2000 Q4
5,009
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
13,925
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
13,474
3
0
222.7
2000 Q1
8,840
3
0
339.4
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
19 on file
2004 · 7 incidents
September 22, 2004CO · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was changing out a conveyor ider when he slipped and fell. He was examined by paramedics on 5/25, and it was declared a first aid. Employee visited hospital on 5/28/04 and was placed on medication, making this a recordable incident. He was then put on restricted duty on 6/10/04 by our workers comp doctor.
Employee was pulling on a handle of a wrench and felt pain in his rib cage. He reported it to his foreman that night, but didn't seek medical attention until March 22, 2004.
February 7, 2004CO · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee alleges he hurt his knee between 11/20/03 and 11/30/03. An initial report of injury was submitted 2/6/04. Employee went to the doctor on 2/11/04, received no restrictions, and continued to work while claim was being investigated. Further medical evaluation led to surgery on 4/23/04.
2002 · 2 incidents
December 5, 2002CO · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
WORKING IN LOG WASHERS REPLACING TIPS AND BASES. SLIPPED ON SHATT, TRIED TO CATCH HIMSELF FROM FALLING, KNOCKED A BASE OFF AND DROPPED IT ON HIS HAND. CONTINUED WORKING FULL DUTY, BUT FRACTURE D HIS FINGER.
1996 · 4 incidents
December 11, 1996CO · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS