69% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $22,619,888 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Labor enforcement (WHD)
US Labor Department wage findings since 2007
1
labor cases
$1,396
back wages owed
1
employees affected
Violation types
Wage & hour (FLSA) (1)
Source: US DOL Wage and Hour Division enforcement records, matched by employer name and state.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
18,415
inspections on record
962,781
inspection hours
6.9
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.
66,628 citations across 962,781 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
28
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2015-04-06.
On record since 2010.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Penalty disposition
ⓘDifferences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$72.9M
proposed penalties
$54.0M
current assessed
$50.3M
paid to date
$3.7M
outstanding
65,256 assessments are final orders; 3,505 contested dockets.
Of $52.1M in penalties contested before the Commission, $33.1M was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-08-01.
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.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘThis rate is reportable injury cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers per year, computed as 200,000 times cases divided by MSHA operator-reported employee-hours. Cases are injuries MSHA graded degree 01 through 07; accident-only events that hurt no one are excluded, and so are contractor injuries, whose hours do not attach to a single mine. Rates begin in 2000, when quarterly employment reporting starts, and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2026
0.00
0.00
0.000
2025
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019
0.00
0.00
0.000
Source: injury cases from MSHA accident and injury records; employee-hours from MSHA quarterly employment reports. Rate is cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers, operator employees only.
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.
Respirable coal dust
ⓘRespirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
Last sampled: 2026-08-20
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
110,583
samples
18.40
dust max (mg/m3)
230
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
46,593 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 63,990 by the operator.
Noise
ⓘThe share counts noise samples whose measured dose exceeded the 90 dBA permissible exposure limit. It describes the sampled workplace, not what reached the miner's ear: hearing conservation programs and the hearing protection worn during the shift are recorded separately and are not reflected here.
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: 2017-11-29, 8 years ago
0%
of limit-tested samples over the exposure limit
28
samples
23
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
Nuisance dust, respirable, <1% Qtz18
Calcium oxide5
Unlisted Particulate, respirable, <1% Qtz4
Respirable dust, <.1mg1
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.
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.
16,532citations taken to the federal commission · 25% of citations on record
Settled
16,153 · 98%
Stood as issued
369 · 2%
Vacated or withdrawn
8 · 0%
Still open
2 · 0%
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 11,025 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
36%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$52.1M proposed, $33.1M 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 2018-03-05. Vacated and withdrawn citations are removed from the file this view attributes through, so that outcome is slightly undercounted here.
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 controller contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Employee was driving a fueling truck when it turned over. It was a single vehicle accident that resulted in the death of the driver. *I will send a revised form when I get more information.
Employee was in the process of conducting his pre-shift exam on the section when he was found by another miner. He was pinned between a fallen rib and shuttle car that had been parked in the crosscut. The incident was not witnessed. Material that dislodged from the rib appeared to have struck the foreman on the right side of his body which resulted in fatal injuries.
November 30, 2012WV · Coalelectrician, linemanFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
At Approx. 1:20 am EE, a certified electrician, was fatally injured when he was struck by a maintenance scoop in an intersection of #7 entry on #2 unit during the third shift. Present information suggests that the scoop operator did not observe EE in the intersection prior to the incident due to miscommunication.
May 17, 2012WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
An employee suffered fatal injuries after he fell down the hoist-well from the 3rd floor onto the basement floor of the preparation plant. The employee was on a ladder when it slipped or shifted causing the employee and ladder to fall over the handrails and down the hoist-well. Employee was transported to the ER by EMS.
There were no witnesses to the event. Victim was found near a rib that had rolled and was not responsive. When found, crew members responded & performed CPR & transported the injured to the surface. The rib portion near the victim was approximately 32" wide - 82" long - and 0-8" in thickness.
July 11, 2011KY · Coalmotorman, motor person, swamper, switchman, locomotive operatorFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Martin County Coal · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was operating the 15 ton Brookville track motor and his head was pinned between the canopy on the motor and a beam on an overcast.
October 11, 2010WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee had finished bolting a section of mine roof at approximately 10:30 am and was preparing to move the roof bolter out of the #1 entry when he was handed a wrench he had requested earlier. He walked up the side of the bolter to place the wrench in his tray when a piece of rock fell without warning, striking him.
July 11, 2008PA · Coalbull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift bossFatality · MACHINERY
From accounts of person involved in accident, EE was preparing to tram Feeder onto belt tail during 3 East belt move when power cable for Feeder was dropped. It appears it fell across tram controls undetected. When EE activated start control switch, Feeder Hydraulic Tram Circuit engaged causing it to tram toward him, striking him & pinning between Feeder & coal rib.
February 25, 2008PA · Coalrodman, surveyor/transit helperFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
EE traveled to get backsight in order to advance survey station in the #5 entry of the 2nd Butt Right off of South Mains section. The backsight was outby a run-thru check curtain. He was struck by a loaded shuttle car as it traveled from the #6 face to the feeder through the run-thru check, and incurred fatal injuries. He was found by the shuttle car operator on his return trip.
January 13, 2007WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Two MRS operators were in No. 3 entry approximately 35 feet inby survey station 1037, when a piece of rock approximately 8 feet by 8 feet fell without warning out of the middle of the entry causing fatal crushing injuries to these employees. 3 roof bolts broke.
January 13, 2007WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Two MRS operators were in No. 3 entry approximately 35 feet inby survey station 1037, when a piece of rock approximately 8 feet by 8 feet fell without warning out of the middle of the entry causing fatal crushing injuries to these employees. 3 roof bolts broke.
The miner operator on the east mains, left section, MMU 007-0, received fatal crushing injuries when portions of the right rib and corner fell unexpectedly. This occurred suddenly while the miner operator was cleaning the second cut in the 5 to 6 crosscut. The rib anomaly was approx 8.5' X 4.5' X 4.5' in the 5 to 6 crosscut and fell pinning operator against shuttle car.
November 4, 2005KY · Coalmaster electricianFatality · ELECTRICAL
The victim was demonstrating the features of the fault wizard. During the demonstration in the mine office he received an electrical shock and collapsed.
Employee was pinned between the coal rib and the ripper head of the continuous miner as he was moving the miner from the 2 right crosscut to the 2 left crosscut by radio remote.
PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS ARE THAT A PORTION OF THE STOCKPILE SLID, COVERING AN EMPLOYEE WHILE HE WAS DIRECTING A LOADER OPERATING DURING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE MAINTENANCE ON AN UNDERGROUND RECLAIM FEEDER. THE EE WAS COVERED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED AT THE HOSPITAL.
THE OPERATOR HAD ALREADY BACKED THE CONTINUOUS MINER BACK AND DROPPED HIS CABLE. AS HE WAS TRAMMING TO SET UP FOR THE END CUT OF THE NO. 6 BLOCK HE WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE CONTINUOUS MINER AND THE RIGHT RIB CAUSING FATAL INJURIES.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. stands on silica, penalties, and injury rate
MSHA's standard limits respirable silica to 50 micrograms per cubic metre, but MSHA publishes
dust and quartz as separate files and never the silica figure itself. We derive it per sample,
score it against the limit, and set the operator's injury rate against a benchmark built from
the full MSHA operator record. With the 26-year penalty trail, contest posture, and fatality
history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.