White Mesa Mill safety activity
MSHA violations, accident reports and inspections.
Safety activity
Regular Safety and Health Inspection
27.0 on-site hours reported
Stepping or kneeling on object
Days away from work only
Accident narrative
On 3/17/26, the employee stepped on a rock and overextended the arch of their right foot. The injury was initially believed to be minor, but the pain persisted and worsened. On 4/13/26, the employee was evaluated at a clinic and prescribed an orthopedic boot. X-rays were negative for fractures; an MRI has been ordered for further evaluation.
Handling of materials
Days away from work only
Accident narrative
While performing maintenance, an employee was manually removing a section of metal floor grating. The grating shifted unexpectedly, catching and pinching the employee's right middle finger between the grating and the support frame. This resulted in a laceration to the fingertip which required sutures for closure.
Machinery
No dys awy frm wrk,no rstr act
Accident narrative
While performing a drilling task, the operator was applying manual pressure to the tool. The drill bit snapped unexpectedly under tension. The sudden release of resistance caused the operator's hand to lunge forward, striking the jagged edge of the broken bit and resulting in a puncture wound to the right index finger.
Distribution boxes.
30 CFR 56.12006 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Inspection and cover plates.
30 CFR 56.12032 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Brakes.
30 CFR 56.14101(a)(2) · $151.00 proposed penalty
Correction of dangerous conditions.
30 CFR 56.12030 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Regular Safety and Health Inspection
31.0 on-site hours reported
Annual refresher training of miners; minimum courses of instruction; hours of instruction.
30 CFR 48.28(a) · $168.00 proposed penalty
Regular Safety and Health Inspection
25.0 on-site hours reported
Correction of dangerous conditions.
30 CFR 56.12030 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Identification of power switches.
30 CFR 56.12018 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Special Emphasis Programs
1.0 on-site hours reported
Requirement for container labels.
30 CFR 47.41(a) · $151.00 proposed penalty
Inspection and cover plates.
30 CFR 56.12032 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Moving machine parts.
30 CFR 56.14107(a) · $151.00 proposed penalty
Regular Safety and Health Inspection
42.8 on-site hours reported
Distribution boxes.
30 CFR 57.12006 · $151.00 proposed penalty
Handtools (nonpowered)
No dys awy frm wrk,no rstr act
Accident narrative
Miner was cleaning rocks out of the apron feeder in the tunnel. The left index finger was smashed between the bar the miner was using and the apron feeder wall. The contact resulted in the tip of the left index finger being fractured.
Slip or fall of person
Dys awy frm wrk & restrctd act
Accident narrative
On 2/28/25, an employee injured EE's right knee while unloading drums from a trailer. EE climbed over drums to access tie-downs and jumped onto the trailer bed, landing awkwardly. Initial care was conservative. PT was later tried for symptom relief. In July, surgery was required, and the employee is now off work recovering.
Handtools (nonpowered)
Days restricted activity only
Accident narrative
The employee was using a hook knife to cut zip ties from a band when the knife slipped lacerating the tip of the middle finger on the left hand.
Sources and definitions
MSHA Violations (issue date), Accidents (accident date) and Inspections (begin date).
Violation titles use current CFR headings to identify the cited rule; they are not the inspector’s account of what happened.
Counts describe published rows, including contractor records; accident records are not distinct incidents or numbers of people injured.
Zero means no matching records in the imported sources, not proof of no events. Historical coverage differs by source; absence before a source begins reporting is not a zero incident rate. Invalid or absent dates and records after the snapshot are excluded.
S&S means SIG_SUB=Y. Fatality records use DEGREE_INJURY_CD=01. Proposed penalties are not final assessed or paid amounts; missing dollar values are omitted.
Inspection hours are SUM_TOTAL_ON_SITE_HOURS attributed to the inspection start date, without supervisor/trainee hours. Missing hours are omitted; a started inspection may still be open.
Portfolio totals use current mine membership, including events before the current owner or operator's tenure.