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: 304 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Surprise Hill has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
23 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $929 in penalties contested before the Commission, $589 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-06-24.
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 · 16% of citations on record
Settled
3 · 75%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 25%
50%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
37%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$929 proposed, $589 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2013-12-13.
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: 2009-07-08, 17 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
5
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Fibers, >5um2
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Respirable dust, <.1mg1
Show the individual readings (5)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2009-07-08
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.2
0.73
0.27
Backhoe Operator
2009-07-08
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.49
0.64
0.77
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2009-07-08
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2009-06-04
Fibers, >5um
0.04
Stone Polisher/Cutter
2009-06-04
Fibers, >5um
0.05
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2014
2
2013
2
2012
3
2011
3
2010
4
2009
4
2008
3
2007
6
2006
10
2005
12
2004
17
2003
12
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Surprise Hill sits in Lincoln County, Montana, where the Census mining category is 1.4% 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.
Lincoln County, Montana · Population 20,656
1.4%
Mining share of county employment
$47,018
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
2014 Q3
607
2
0
3294.9
2014 Q2
559
6
3
10733.5
2014 Q1
0
0
0
2013 Q3
591
2
1
3384.1
2013 Q2
870
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
0
0
0
2012 Q4
16
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
905
0
0
0.0
Show 37 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2012 Q2
1,138
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
0
0
0
2011 Q4
384
2
1
5208.3
2011 Q3
811
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
96
3
2
31250.0
2011 Q1
150
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
172
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
1,178
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
1,270
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
216
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
347
1
0
2881.8
2009 Q3
1,464
4
0
2732.2
2009 Q2
204
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
629
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
899
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
165
1
0
6060.6
2008 Q2
20
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
733
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
666
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
3,412
1
0
293.1
2007 Q2
2,183
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
2,020
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
4,264
1
0
234.5
2006 Q3
3,923
2
0
509.8
2006 Q2
3,362
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
3,324
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
3,411
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
6,370
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
3,900
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
4,680
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
1,400
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
2,760
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
2,940
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
4,388
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
9,000
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
300
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
645
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2007 · 2 incidents
July 30, 2007MT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
When lifting a rock to stack, another unforeseen rock slid on the rock employee was lifting and smashed his right index finger requiring 10 stitches.
June 13, 2007MT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
R P O Stone Inc · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects
When throwing rocks to be stacked on a pallet He felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, he contuned working and iritated his condition. He later went to the DR and was not to work until a follow up with another DR. He was diagnosed with a sprain or strain and released to limitted duty.
2005 · 1 incident
June 2, 2005MT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EMPLOYEE WAS LIFTING A ROCK AND SLIPPED AND HURT HIS LOWER BACK. THIS ACCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED UNTIL THE STATE CALLED THIS OFFICE THEN THE EMPLOYEE CALLED US.