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: 493 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Wash Plant has $39K 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.
$39K
proposed penalties
$29K
current assessed
$29K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
84 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $31K in penalties contested before the Commission, $20K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-11-01.
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.
7citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
7 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
29%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$24K proposed, $17K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2011-06-14.
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: 2010-04-08, 16 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
5
samples
2
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Respirable dust, <.1mg3
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz2
Show the individual readings (5)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Occupation
2010-04-08
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2010-04-08
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.19
0.45
0.42
Washer Operator
2002-11-20
Quartz, respirable, >1% Qtz
0.36
0.47
0.77
Cleanup Man
2002-11-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Front-end Loader Operator
2002-11-20
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
Cleanup Man
Area samples (mill and shop air)
Last sampled: 2016-11-01, 9 years ago
1
samples
Show the individual readings (1)
Date
Contaminant
Concentration
Limit
Conc / limit
Area sampled
2016-11-01
Respirable dust, <.1mg
0
MP WASH/SCREEN
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
2019
0
2018
2
2017
5
2016
5
2015
8
2014
6
2013
4
2012
4
2011
3
2010
4
2009
3
2008
5
2007
5
2006
5
2005
6
2004
5
2003
4
2002
3
2001
2
2000
3
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Wash Plant sits in Flathead County, Montana, where the Census mining category is 0.7% 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.
Flathead County, Montana · Population 108,445
0.7%
Mining share of county employment
$71,327
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
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
94
2
0
21276.6
2018 Q3
72
3
0
41666.7
2018 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q4
982
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
1,938
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
1,592
1
0
628.1
2017 Q1
335
0
0
0.0
Show 68 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2016 Q4
261
2
0
7662.8
2016 Q3
389
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
590
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
270
1
0
3703.7
2015 Q4
888
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
765
7
3
9150.3
2015 Q2
883
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
252
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
1,138
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
1,757
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
973
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
532
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
1,328
1
0
753.0
2013 Q3
870
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
966
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
329
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
1,041
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
880
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
410
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
106
1
0
9434.0
2011 Q4
422
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
576
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
603
3
1
4975.1
2011 Q1
60
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
410
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
984
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
320
1
0
3125.0
2010 Q1
144
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
605
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
500
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
352
2
0
5681.8
2009 Q1
0
0
0
2008 Q4
620
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
757
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
525
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
182
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
357
5
1
14005.6
2007 Q3
654
1
0
1529.1
2007 Q2
308
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
695
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
538
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
499
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
479
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
232
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
360
2
0
5555.6
2005 Q3
684
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
1,103
2
1
1813.2
2005 Q1
557
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
877
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
1,235
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
3,527
2
1
567.1
2004 Q1
1,593
20
13
12554.9
2003 Q4
772
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
1,169
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
2,400
5
3
2083.3
2003 Q1
278
5
1
17985.6
2002 Q4
329
8
1
24316.1
2002 Q3
637
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
170
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
0
0
0
2001 Q4
180
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
358
16
11
44692.7
2001 Q2
754
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
0
0
0
2000 Q4
853
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
2,545
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
1,035
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file
2016 · 1 incident
December 1, 2016MT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanPOWERED HAULAGE
LHC Incorporated · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
I entered the machine, and my left foot pressed down on a foot control, which raise the bucket up into the air. As bucket lifted, it caught right arm and lifted me into the air. I was holding onto a side bar with my left hand, and when the bucket lifted it raised my whole body, and my left arm got pinched between the ROPS and the boom cross member.
2006 · 1 incident
March 1, 2006MT · Metal/Non-Metallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanPOWERED HAULAGE
LHC Incorporated · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects
After viewing the material moving on infeed conveyor, he turned; right hand glove snagged by trough roller sucking right hand between roller and conveyor belt. The plant was in a test run after reconfiguring plant setup. There were no roller guards on that portion of the infeed conveyor. Damage to employee's hand was bruising. He was able to remove hand immediately.