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: 588 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Torrance Plant has $111K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 4 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.
$111K
proposed penalties
$78K
current assessed
$78K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
29 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $110K in penalties contested before the Commission, $77K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2021-03-11.
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.
18citations taken to the federal commission · 55% of citations on record
Settled
18 · 100%
75%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$110K proposed, $77K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2016-08-17.
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: 2022-10-19, 3 years ago
46%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
15
samples
13
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz85 over
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz71 over
Show the individual readings (15)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2019-12-03
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
16.19
10
1.62
Utility Man
2019-12-03
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
11.28
10
1.13
Mechanic
2019-10-09
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
78.19
10
7.82
Utility Man
2019-10-09
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
26.09
10
2.61
Mechanic
2019-10-09
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
16.11
10
1.61
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2017-11-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
1.1
0.93
1.18
Laborer, Bullgang
2022-10-19
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.46
Crusher Oper/Worker
2021-03-11
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.22
0.77
0.29
Welder, etc.
2021-03-11
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.13
Crusher Oper/Worker
2021-03-11
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.24
0.76
0.32
Laborer, Bullgang
2020-07-14
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
2.77
10
0.28
Utility Man
2020-07-14
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
2.25
10
0.23
Mechanic
2019-12-03
Nuisance dust, total, <1% Qtz
2.01
10
0.20
Dry Screen Plant Operator
2017-11-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.74
0.92
0.80
Supervisor, Co. Official
2017-11-14
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.67
0.7
0.96
Crusher Oper/Worker
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
2024
5
2023
5
2022
5
2021
3
2020
5
2019
4
2018
4
2017
5
2016
5
2015
8
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Torrance Plant sits in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.5% 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.
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania · Population 353,345
0.5%
Mining share of county employment
$72,468
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
2024 Q1
1,456
0
0
0.0
2023 Q4
445
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
3,034
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
3,253
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
1,368
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
783
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
3,111
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
2,889
0
0
0.0
Show 27 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2022 Q1
609
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
0
0
0
2021 Q3
2,765
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
2,842
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
1,126
1
0
888.1
2020 Q4
225
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
3,027
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
1,377
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
1,774
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
2,316
9
0
3886.0
2019 Q3
3,512
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
2,160
1
0
463.0
2019 Q1
878
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
2,399
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
2,447
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
2,819
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q4
2,529
1
0
395.4
2017 Q3
2,768
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
2,660
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
466
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
2,109
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
3,014
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
2,319
18
3
7762.0
2016 Q1
316
1
0
3164.6
2015 Q4
3,619
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
1,500
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2019 · 1 incident
March 26, 2019PA · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Removing a fan from a track unit and the wrench slipped, resulting in a cut to the palm of employee's right hand, near thumb area. Employee received five (5) stitches.
Mellott Company LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was working on stacker head section and became entangled in head pulley causing a dismemberment of right arm.
2015 · 1 incident
September 1, 2015PA · Metal/Non-Metalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON