Mining Incidents

Pontotoc Sands Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Joshua Lehde
Stonewall, Pontotoc County, OK  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 3402161

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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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
2018–2026
Latest incident
Feb 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2017
98
citations
24
significant & substantial
$29,451
proposed penalties
$28,962
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $489 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2017
29
inspections on record
615
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: 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.

Pontotoc Sands has $29K 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.
$29K
proposed penalties
$29K
current assessed
$29K
paid to date
$147
outstanding
91 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-10-16.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
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
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
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
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

12 on file

2026 · 1 incident

February 6, 2026 OK · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HOISTING
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

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.

2023 · 5 incidents

September 8, 2023 OK · Metal/Non-Metal lab technician HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Struck by flying object

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, 2023 OK · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

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.

April 21, 2023 OK · Metal/Non-Metal ground controller HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Fall from ladders

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, 2023 OK · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Fall onto or against objects

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, 2023 OK · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

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, 2022 OK · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer POWERED HAULAGE
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Struck against a moving object

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, 2021 OK · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Rubbed or abraded

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, 2021 OK · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman MACHINERY
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Struck by flying object

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, 2021 OK · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Struck against a moving object

Dozer operator was cleaning area off by pushing material to the berm and drove off of the highwall.

2019 · 1 incident

June 26, 2019 OK · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman OTHER
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

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

September 22, 2018 OK · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Pontotoc Sands Company LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

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.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

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.