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: 424 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
V R Pit has $12K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 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.
$12K
proposed penalties
$11K
current assessed
$11K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
35 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $7K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2021-03-30.
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.
8citations taken to the federal commission · 23% of citations on record
Settled
7 · 88%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 13%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
17%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$7K proposed, $6K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2020-08-20.
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: 2014-04-09, 12 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
8
samples
3
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg4
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz1
Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz1
Show the individual readings (8)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2014-04-09
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.12
1.25
0.10
Bobcat Operator
2012-11-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2012-11-06
Unlisted Particulate, total, <1% Qtz
0
Truck Driver
2012-11-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Truck Driver
2009-07-29
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Backhoe Operator
2009-07-29
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz
0.33
10
0.03
Scraper Operator
2007-09-06
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Scraper Operator
2007-09-06
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.31
1.14
0.27
Tractor 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
2025
0
2024
2
2022
1
2021
5
2020
8
2019
6
2018
10
2017
15
2016
13
2015
12
2014
12
2013
7
2012
9
2011
3
2010
2
2009
2
2008
2
2007
2
2006
2
2005
3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
V R Pit sits in Converse County, Wyoming, where the Census mining category is 14.1% 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.
Converse County, Wyoming · Population 13,759
14.1%
Mining share of county employment
$79,164
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
Miner was cutting rubber belting material with a razor blade knife. The knife slipped and the miner lacerated left forearm with the blade of the knife. The laceration required sutures and the miner returned to work.
Miner was using a sledgehammer and a punch to drift a pin out so that the tooth on an excavator bucket could be replaced. The miner hit their thumb with the sledge hammer when it glanced off of the top of the punch. The miner's right thumb suffered a fracture on the tip of it.
2015 · 1 incident
November 20, 2015WY · Metal/Non-Metalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Was using hand to try and hold a bolt on a cutting edge to keep into place. The air gun spun the bolt and lacerated his hand. The employee was wearing gloves.