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: 615 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: 2018-08-27.
On record since 2018.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Pontotoc Sands has $30K in proposed MSHA penalties and $147 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.
$30K
proposed penalties
$30K
current assessed
$30K
paid to date
$147
outstanding
91 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-07-01.
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.
4citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 50%
Stood as issued
2 · 50%
67%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 3 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
18%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$2K proposed, $2K 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 2023-11-20.
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: 2026-06-30
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
20
samples
7
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg10
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz6
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (20)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2026-06-30
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.3
Front-end Loader Operator
2026-06-30
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2026-06-30
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
1.77
Utility Man
2026-06-30
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.45
Crusher Oper/Worker
2023-04-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2023-04-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Crusher Oper/Worker
2023-04-11
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.3
0.76
0.39
Utility Man
2023-04-11
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2021-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2021-01-13
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2021-01-13
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.16
10
0.02
Rotary Bucket Ex. Operator
2021-01-13
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.94
10
0.09
Laborer, Bullgang
2018-08-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2018-08-22
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Laborer, Bullgang
2018-08-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.17
0.42
0.40
Laborer, Bullgang
2018-08-22
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.38
0.6
0.63
Front-end Loader Operator
2017-05-31
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.22
0.6
0.37
Utility Man
2017-05-31
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.3
0.6
0.50
Bobcat Operator
2017-05-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Utility Man
2017-05-31
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Bulldozer 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.
Pontotoc Sands recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 1.65 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In Oklahoma, metal and nonmetal mining averaged 1.92 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2025
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023
5.44
1.09
0.000
2022
0.98
0.98
0.000
2021
4.79
3.19
0.000
2020
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019
0.00
0.00
0.000
2018
0.96
0.00
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
2026
72
2025
82
2024
97
2023
87
2022
88
2021
68
2020
57
2019
67
2018
77
2017
31
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Pontotoc Sands sits in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, where the Census mining category is 2.0% 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.
Pontotoc County, Oklahoma · Population 38,158
2.0%
Mining share of county employment
$62,564
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
40,372
3
1
74.3
2026 Q1
36,065
2
2
55.5
2025 Q4
35,539
3
0
84.4
2025 Q3
43,706
3
0
68.6
2025 Q2
45,845
1
1
21.8
2025 Q1
41,202
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
45,836
3
1
65.5
2024 Q3
44,995
7
6
155.6
Show 30 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
35,882
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
40,090
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
36,519
6
0
164.3
2023 Q3
46,428
10
2
215.4
2023 Q2
48,050
4
0
83.2
2023 Q1
52,908
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
51,237
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
56,266
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
50,142
2
0
39.9
2022 Q1
47,225
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
32,954
2
0
60.7
2021 Q3
26,898
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
35,323
7
0
198.2
2021 Q1
30,131
6
1
199.1
2020 Q4
23,976
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
21,263
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
23,740
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
36,624
1
0
27.3
2019 Q4
28,729
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
42,210
4
0
94.8
2019 Q2
41,895
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
39,110
2
0
51.1
2018 Q4
50,840
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
52,900
2
0
37.8
2018 Q2
52,064
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
51,730
3
1
58.0
2017 Q4
39,808
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
23,857
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
8,300
5
3
602.4
2017 Q1
2,671
4
3
1497.6
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
12 on file
2026 · 1 incident
February 6, 2026OK · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHOISTING
Personnel were attempting to determine why elevator would not run continuously. Belt was being tightened and tracked. Maintenance, arrived to assist. They reached to belt to feel belt tension. Belt started as they reached in, bucket grabbed their sleeve and pulled their arm in. Damaged shoulder bones. Still getting surgery to correct.
Three employees were in the process of removing a u-joint. Two of the three employees were using a punch and a hammer to remove the u-joint and a small metal fragment went through the third employees shirt and lodged into EE's upper, right arm causing a half inch puncture wound. The employee was seen in the ER and was referred to a surgeon to have the small metal fragment removed.
August 30, 2023OK · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Dry plant crew was in the process of reassembling the exhaust fan on bag house 3. After performing lockout, tagout, tryout; the belt was manually turned to diagnose an issue. When the belt was moving, the employee grabbed the moving belt by hand causing employee's fingers to be pulled in between the belt and sheave.
Employee was filling an 8' water tank and was standing on the 3rd rung of the ladder to pull the hose from the top of the tank. Weight shifted and while trying to catch themselves, they fell backwards on their back. Contributing factors are, the employee placed the ladder on uneven ground and the ladder was also not tied off.
April 17, 2023OK · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was checking the compressor oil on a pump. EE stepped onto a fender to check the top compartment and EE's foot slipped causing EE to fall into the pump. EE started experiencing pain to right upper rib area. After confirmation from the doctor, EE fractured two ribs.
March 5, 2023OK · Metal/Non-Metalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was tightening down bolts to 600FB and the wrench slipped, smashing employee's finger in between the guard rail and wrench. The employee was wearing all appropriate PPE, including gloves. The emergency room treated employee for a closed fracture on the tuft of the finger and superglued the laceration.
2022 · 1 incident
September 8, 2022OK · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerPOWERED HAULAGE
EMPLOYEE WAS BACKING UP ARTICULATING TRUCK TO DUMP A LOAD OF ROCK. AS EE WAS IN POSITION TO UNLOAD THE ROCK, EE PUSHED THE LEVER TO LIFT THE BED UP AND AS IT WAS GOING UP, EE FELT THE BACK TIRE SLIPPING SO EE TRIED TO PULL THE TRUCK FORWARD, CAUSING THE CAB TO LIFT AND FALL OVER. EMPLOYEE WAS WEARING SEATBELT. EMPLOYEE WAS SEEN BY MEDICAL DUE TO ARM REST CAUSING BRUISING.
2021 · 3 incidents
December 8, 2021OK · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was moving sheet metal from one conex to another. As they placed a piece of metal on the stack and pushed for it to be in place, hand slipped. The sheet metal caught the corner of cut resistant glove, tore it, and also made contact with left pinky causing a cut.
April 2, 2021OK · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Employee was using the grinder to cut a piece of metal off of a shaft. While using the grinder, a foreign object went through the employees jeans and into EE's leg.
March 3, 2021OK · Metal/Non-Metalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
After receiving 20 3/4 inches of rain, employee stepped into a small hole that had been covered with silt with right leg. Employee left work that day without any pain. The next day employee woke with pain and swelling of the right knee. Employee was taken to Urgent Care. Employee was examined and released on crutches. Employee has to schedule an MRI as soon as possible.