Mining Incidents

HT Plant Metal/Non-Metal

Black Hills Bentonite · Facility
Mills, Natrona County, WY  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4801539

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
18
Years on record
2000–2023
Latest incident
Aug 2023
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
95
citations
20
significant & substantial
$25,547
proposed penalties
$20,214
paid to date
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2025 Q4 5,625 1 0 177.8
2025 Q3 4,417 1 0 226.4
2025 Q1 5,597 0 0 0.0
2024 Q3 5,439 7 2 1287.0
2023 Q3 5,901 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 4,449 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 5,430 0 0 0.0
2022 Q1 5,345 2 0 374.2
Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

18 on file

2023 · 1 incident

August 10, 2023 WY · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Black Hills Bentonite · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

2 employees were barring out a hopper together. One employee was brushing loose material away while the other continued barring and crushed the first employee's left middle finger between the bar and the grizzly, breaking it.

2022 · 1 incident

August 10, 2022 WY · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) POWERED HAULAGE
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck by flying object

Employee was cleaning material out of the Mill Hopper when an air cannon purged and shot dust and debris at the employees legs causing bruising and abrasions the front of the thighs and shins.

2020 · 3 incidents

October 6, 2020 WY · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Black Hills Bentonite · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Employee had completed a welding project on the hopper. The employee was cleaning up the work area and packing tools out of the area. As the emplyee was lifting a 5 gallon bucket full of tools up onto the service cart, they felt a sharp pain in their right shoulder. Employee is going to seek orthopedic examination at this time.

August 2, 2020 WY · Metal/Non-Metal ball/rod/pebble/hand/limestone/dry mill operator, roller operator MACHINERY
Black Hills Bentonite · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

While unclogging a pin mill, the employee accidently stepped on the remote switch lowering the pin mill lid on top of themselves, crushing them between the lid and the pin mill. This resulted in a fractured vertebre and a loss of sensation in the right leg.

July 16, 2020 WY · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck by falling object

While working with metal, performing maintenance duties, the worker cut their hand while trying to catch a falling piece of metal.

2019 · 2 incidents

August 12, 2019 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

A roofing contractor was in the process of installing new sheet metal at the plant, when the sheet of metal they were holding slipped in their hands cutting through the leather gloves they were wearing. The sheet metal cut the contractors left thumb resulting in stitches.

February 11, 2019 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator STRIKING OR BUMPING
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck against stationary object

While cleaning the plant at the end of the shift the employee struck their elbow on an elevator, the elbow became swollen and needed to be checked out.

2018 · 2 incidents

October 8, 2018 WY · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck against stationary object

The employee was installing heater pipes when they struck their shoulder against an upright pipe flange. The employee went to the doctor a couple weeks later due to the pain they were experiencing, and on 12/27/2018, quit working.

April 29, 2018 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Black Hills Bentonite · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was barring mud out of a dryer conveyor belt tail roll. The bar slipped in the employee's hands, crushing the pinky finger on the right hand between the bar and the tail roll housing.

2017 · 1 incident

October 15, 2017 WY · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Black Hills Bentonite · Fall from machine

Employee was climbing out of the front end loader when they slipped off the ladder pulling and hurting a shoulder

2015 · 1 incident

October 14, 2015 WY · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Black Hills Bentonite · Fall down stairs

Employee was changing a carbon bag when he slipped and fell coming off the stairs he fell from the bottom step and landed on his left wrist breaking it in 2 places.

2013 · 2 incidents

July 12, 2013 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Black Hills Bentonite · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EE was spotting slow moving railcars with PPE on when he stumbled and fell on top of a car onto his right shoulder and back. He did not file an accident report until now, having worked for many weeks with pain in the right shoulder. Recent diagnostics on 09/30/2013 reveal a torn cartilage that will soon require surgery. No time has been lost as yet.

May 2, 2013 WY · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator POWERED HAULAGE
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck against a moving object

EE was operating front-end loader over rough ground when he felt pain in lower back. EE experienced herniated disc in 2005; may be re-occurrence. EE is now seeing Chiropractor.

2007 · 2 incidents

December 12, 2007 WY · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Black Hills Bentonite · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Third deck hammer-mill area had 28x48 inch deck plate removed for transporting maintenance equipment. It was left open and employee went into area to clean magnets in feed chute, apparently forgot or did not see opening and fell 25' 9" to concrete floor below and sustained serious injuries - many broken bones. See Report

July 20, 2007 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Black Hills Bentonite · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was cutting string on bulk bag when the knife slipped around his left thumb, causing a laceration that required 10 stitches at the emergency room. The employee has not missed time at work.

2005 · 1 incident

April 27, 2005 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Black Hills Bentonite · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was bending over a railing to clean out a pin-mixer when he felt a sudden pain in lower back. He visited Chiropractor several days later; x-rays reveal a slipped disc in lumbar region. No work for 2-4 weeks as per doctor.

2002 · 1 incident

March 31, 2002 WY · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator POWERED HAULAGE
Black Hills Bentonite · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

INJURED WRIST WHILE OPERATING FRONT-END LOADER. AT THE END OF SHIFT, EE FELT SOME DISCOMFORT IN HIS LEFT WRIST, PROBABLY DUE TO REPETITIVE MOTION WHILE OPERATING THE FRONT END LOADER. A VISIT TO THE DR. REVEALED A SWOLLEN OR SPRAINED TENDON IN THE WRIST.

2000 · 1 incident

November 3, 2000 WY · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Black Hills Bentonite · Fall onto or against objects

EE WAS STEPPING DOWN FROM A 4' LADDER WITH TOOLS IN HANDS WHEN HE LOST HIS BALANCE AND FELL DOWN ON TOP OF SOME OF THESE ITEMS, BEING STRUCK IN THE PUBIC REGION AND SUSTAINING A BRUISE NEAR TH E RECTUM.