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: 754 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
NICHOLS PIT has $77K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 7 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.
$77K
proposed penalties
$62K
current assessed
$62K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
90 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $56K in penalties contested before the Commission, $39K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-06-26.
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 · 10% of citations on record
Settled
7 · 78%
Stood as issued
1 · 11%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 11%
29%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$56K proposed, $39K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2019-11-12.
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: 2023-12-12
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
14
samples
5
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg7
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz4
Arsenic fumes1
Beryllium fumes1
Show the individual readings (26)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2023-12-12
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2023-12-12
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2023-12-12
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.14
Utility Man
2016-04-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2016-04-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2016-04-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2013-11-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2013-11-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
1.19
0.14
Washer Operator
2013-11-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.16
0.65
0.25
Oiler, Greaser
2013-11-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.18
0.68
0.26
Belt Crew
2011-06-23
Manganese fumes
0.02
5
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Molybdenum fumes
0
20
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Vanadium fumes
0
50
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Zinc oxide fumes
0
10
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Nickel fumes
0
3
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Arsenic fumes
0
1500
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Beryllium fumes
0
6
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Cadmium oxide fumes
0
100
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Chromium, insoluble
0
3
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Cobalt fumes
0
300
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Copper fumes
3.53
300
0.01
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Iron oxide fumes
0.1
20
0.01
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Lead fumes
0
450
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-06-23
Magnesium oxide fumes
0
20
0.00
Supervisor, Co. Official
2011-01-26
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2011-01-26
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.29
Backhoe Operator
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.
NICHOLS PIT recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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 1.77 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Mississippi, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.46 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
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
5.52
5.52
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017 *
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
6
2025
10
2024
10
2023
13
2022
14
2021
15
2020
16
2019
16
2018
15
2017
13
2016
13
2015
14
2014
14
2013
14
2012
12
2011
10
2010
10
2009
10
2008
11
2007
14
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
NICHOLS PIT sits in Marshall County, Mississippi, 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.
Marshall County, Mississippi · Population 33,899
0.1%
Mining share of county employment
$51,875
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
Injured miner was using a pry bar to lift a bearing on a LOTO'd pump to remove shims under it. Lifted bearing and used fingers to remove shim, pry bar slipped dropping bearing, catching left index tip of finger cutting it off.
2015 · 2 incidents
July 16, 2015MS · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techOTHER
Claims he pulled a muscle in his abdomen while pulling on a pipe.
June 20, 2013MS · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Slipped and fell from a loader platform. He caught himself with his right arm on the handrail, pulling ligaments in his shoulder.
2011 · 2 incidents
November 11, 2011MS · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
While working on the shaker deck, he had to remove a length of conveyor belting that had been placed there to protect the screen. In removing the belting he felt a pain in his back.
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