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.
Pontotoc Sands Metal/Non-Metal
Pontotoc Sands has $29K in proposed MSHA penalties and $147 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Pontotoc Sands.
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 12
- Years on record
- 2018–2026
- Latest incident
- Feb 2026
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This rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.Pontotoc Sands has $29K in proposed MSHA penalties and $147 outstanding across 2 contested dockets.
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Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.ⓘ
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.| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5 | 1 | 109.1 |
| 2024 Q3 | 44,995 | 7 | 6 | 155.6 |
| 2024 Q2 | 35,882 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 Q1 | 40,090 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Show 28 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 4 | 0 | 79.8 |
| 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 | 2 | 0 | 54.6 |
| 2019 Q4 | 28,729 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 Q3 | 42,210 | 7 | 1 | 165.8 |
| 2019 Q2 | 41,895 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 Q1 | 39,110 | 7 | 0 | 179.0 |
| 2018 Q4 | 50,840 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q3 | 52,900 | 4 | 1 | 75.6 |
| 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 | 6 | 3 | 722.9 |
| 2017 Q1 | 2,671 | 5 | 4 | 1872.0 |
Reportable incidents
12 on file2026 · 1 incident
2023 · 5 incidents
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Dozer operator was cleaning area off by pushing material to the berm and drove off of the highwall.
2019 · 1 incident
Employee was shoveling sand from beneath the grizzly hopper, when the miner passed out. Temperature outside was 78 degrees with 85% humidity.
2018 · 1 incident
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.
The full compliance file on Pontotoc Sands
A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.