Plant 4 has $12K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2015–2016
Latest incident
Oct 2016
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2014
65
citations
27
significant & substantial
$12,110
proposed penalties
$7,756
paid to date
64% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $4,354 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2014
16
inspections on record
415
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: 415 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Plant 4 has $12K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K 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.
$12K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
65 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $100 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-09-26.
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.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 100%
0%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
91%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $100 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 2015-04-22.
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: 2015-05-05, 11 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
3
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz3
Show the individual readings (3)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2015-05-05
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.27
1.54
0.18
Flotation/Concentrator Oper.
2015-05-05
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.37
1.25
0.30
Flotation/Concentrator Oper.
2015-05-05
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.44
1.2
0.37
Washer 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.
Plant 4 recorded 1.17 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2016.
Injury rate, 2016
ⓘ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.
1.17
total case rate
0.59
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US metal and nonmetal mining average was 2.17 and the all-US-mining average was 2.59 cases per 100 workers.
In Minnesota, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 2.36 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2016
1.17
0.59
0.000
2015
6.26
3.13
0.000
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
2018
5
2017
6
2016
160
2015
141
2014
106
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Plant 4 sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, where the Census mining category is 1.5% 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.
Itasca County, Minnesota · Population 45,141
1.5%
Mining share of county employment
$66,380
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
2018 Q1
2,568
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
2,200
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
4,176
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
2,664
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
956
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
84,650
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
87,186
1
1
11.5
2016 Q2
86,699
0
0
0.0
Show 6 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2016 Q1
82,139
7
2
85.2
2015 Q4
23,801
5
3
210.1
2015 Q3
82,733
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
70,095
9
3
128.4
2015 Q1
78,923
24
10
304.1
2014 Q4
2,807
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2016 · 2 incidents
October 3, 2016MN · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerPOWERED HAULAGE
An equipment operator was operating a 40 ton haul truck when EE encountered a pothole in the road jarring back.
June 25, 2016MN · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mag Mining LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was assisting another employee in pulling a distributor plug. While handing the plug off, the other employee grabbed the plug with both hands. As EE did so EE's thumb was smashed between the bottom T-handle and the distributor. Part of EE's thumb tip was pinched off.
2015 · 9 incidents
December 6, 2015MN · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
Mag Mining LLC · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances
Wire Harness shorted out in a 390 Cat excavator. This triggered the fire suppression system to activate. The employee exited the cab of the excavator as the suppression system went off. The employee may have inhaled some of the suppressant and was sent to the local emergency room for evaluation.
Employee was ascending the west stair tower close to the control room level when his knee popped and gave out on the employee. He was carrying a small battery powered portaband. The employee caught himself and was able to get to the control room level where he was seated in a chair and our first aid protocol was initiated.
September 24, 2015MN · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
Employee was holding a metal collar in his left hand while cleaning it with a hand angle grinder. The wire wheel on the grinder grabbed the collar spinning it into his left palm causing a laceration.
Employee was working in the primary building on primary screen #2 taking off spray bars. While stepping down off the ladder he twisted his knee and it was "a little sore." He was offered rest and an ice pack or medical care and he declined stating it was "no big deal." The employee notified management on 9/29/15 that he had a mildly torn meniscus and may require surgery.
Employee was removing a vick from a 12" slurry tank line. While removing the vick the employee was burned by hot water/steam. The employee sustained burns to both forearms.
August 11, 2015MN · Metal/Non-Metaldryer operator, kiln operator, dry plant operator, fluid operator, bed dryer operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was removing a vick from a 12" slurry feed line when hot steam/water sprayed out causing burns to the employee's left shoulder, left inner elbow, left hand, left ear.
July 13, 2015MN · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mag Mining LLC · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects
Employee was pulling out the ramp on a trailer and twisted his back causing lower back pain.
January 23, 2015MN · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was hurrying down the staircase, when he lost his footing. He had both hands on the handrails which is how he caught himself before falling backward but in doing so, jammed both shoulders. He was seen at the clinic where he was diagnosed with strains and put on restrictions.