80% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $339,186 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
3,498
inspections on record
102,204
inspection hours
7.1
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.
7,293 citations across 102,204 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, 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.
$1.7M
proposed penalties
$1.4M
current assessed
$1.4M
paid to date
$85K
outstanding
7,168 assessments are final orders; 25 contested dockets.
Of $410K in penalties contested before the Commission, $157K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2005-09-28.
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, 2014
ⓘ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 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2014
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007
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: 2014-10-28, 11 years ago
88%
within 1.5 mg/m3
14,376
samples
9.28
dust max (mg/m3)
0
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.
7,369 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 7,007 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.
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.
9citations taken to the federal commission · 0% of citations on record
Settled
6 · 67%
Stood as issued
3 · 33%
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 9 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
19%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5K proposed, $4K 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 2004-05-20. 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.
WHILE HAULING DIRT DOWN THE IMPOUNDMENT HAUL ROAD, IT APPEARS EMPLOYEE LOST CONTROL OF THE 10 WHEELER TRUCK HE WAS DRIVING. HE JUMPED FROM THE TRUCK AND IT STRUCK HIM CAUSING FATAL INJURIES.
Star Fire Mining · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
LOADED COAL TRUCK WAS LEAVING PIT. FOR SOME REASON STEEP HAULWAY ROAD TRUCK ROLLED BACK. APPARENTLY DRIVER TRIED TO JUMP OUT. HE WAS CAUGHT BY TRUCK AND KILLED.
February 18, 2002KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
THE EE WAS OPERATING A SINGLE BOOM ROOF BOLTER IN THE #6 ENTRY. IN THE PROCESS OF DRILLING A HOLE FOR BOLT INSTALATION THE EE WAS STRICKEN WITH A PIECE OF FALLEN ROOF APPROX. 20'X 21'X 14 FT. IN SIZE. THIS RESULTED IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE EMPLOYEE.
EE WAS STANDING BESIDE A 8" FROZEN SLURRY LINE. HE WAS CHIPPING ICE WHICH EXITED THE PIPE & LODGED AGAINST HILLSIDE. HE WOULD CHIP A PIECE OUT &ANOTHER WOULD COME OUT & GET LODGED. HE DID THIS ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES WHEN PRESSURE OR SOMETHING CAUSED THE PIPE TO MOVE POSSIBLY STRIKING HIM. THE PIPE RAISED UP AND LANDED ABOUT 80' UP THE HILL.
October 4, 2000KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerFatality · MACHINERY
AT APPROXIMATELY 3:20PM ON 9/17/00 A FATAL POWERHAULAGE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN EE AGE 57, WAS STRUCK BY FALLING HEAVY METAL PARTS. EE WAS OPERATING A BATTERY POWERED STANDUP FORK LIFT WHEN THE MATERIAL FELL FROM AN OVERHEAD STORAGE RACK. A NOTHER CONTR EE HEARD THE SOUND OF FALLING MATERIAL & SAW THAT EE HAD BEEN INJURED. EE NOTIFIED THE MINE SECURITY GUARD WHO NOTIFIED THE CLAY CO
May 18, 2000KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorFatality · IGNITION OR EXPLOSION OF GAS OR DUST
EMPLOYEE CONTACTED A 20 INCH HIGH PRESSURE GAS LINE WITH HIS LOADER BUCKET WHILE REMOVING OVERBURDEN. AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN WHICH HE WAS BURNED WHILE TRYING TO GET AWAY. HE PASSED AWAY AS A RESULT OF THESE BURNS ON 5-19-00.
March 7, 2000KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerFatality · MACHINERY
DOZER WENT OVER SLOPE GOT SADDLEBAGGED ON ROCK CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL BLADE HIT STUMP CAUSING DOZER TO FLIP END FOR END. OPERATOR EJECTED CAUSING DEATH.
EE DROPPED 5 PEOPLE AT THE HIGHWALL MINER SITE & PROCEEDED TO GO REFUEL WHILE THEY WERE TOURING THE OPERATION. HE TRAVELED APPROX 1/2 MILE AND STRUCK SOME POWERLINES. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO A PREVIOUSLY MINED COAL PIT. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE AND EE WAS FATALLY INJURED.
March 4, 1999KY · Coalsection foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift bossFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
EE, SECTION FOREMAN TRAVELED UP TO THE TWIN HEAD ROOF BOLTER, WHICH WAS IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING ROOF SUPPORT. HE THEN WENT INBY THE ATRS AND A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK STRUCK HIM.
December 17, 1998KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Unicorn Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
THE EMPLOYEE WAS RIDING IN THE FRONT OF THE RAILRUNNER AND WAS SETTING ON HIS LEG. THE EMPLOYEE PUT HIS HAND ON THE BUMPER AND RAISED HIMSELF UP TO MOVE HIS LEG FROM UNDER HIM WHEN THE RAIL RU NNER HIT A BENT PLACE IN THE TRACK CAUSING THE RAIL RUNNER TO SHIFT TO ONE SIDE. THE EMPLOYEE'S HAND SLIPPED OFF THE BUMPER & HE FELL OVER INTO THE FRONT OF THE RAIL RUNNER & IT RAN OVER HIM.
December 14, 1998CO · Coalcontinuous miner helper, coal mole helper, bridgemanFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
A FALL OF ROOF OCCURRED DURING PILLAR EXTRACTIONINTO THE OUTBY INTERSECTION COVERING THE MINER OPERATOR AND MINER HELPER. THE FALL WAS 8 FEET BY 20 FEET BY 80 FEET.
December 14, 1998CO · Coalcontinuous miner helper, coal mole helper, bridgemanFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
A FALL OF ROOF OCCURRED DURING PILLAR EXTRACTION INTO THE OUTBY INTERSECTION COVERING THE MINER OPERATOR AND MINER HELPER. THE FALL WAS 8 FEET BY 20 FEET BY 80 FEET.
January 20, 1994KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · MACHINERY
EMPLOYEE WAS REPAIRING A D 10 N CAT BULLDOZER,TOMAKE REPAIRS HE HAD TO REMOVE THE BELLY PAN. BEFORE REMOVING ALL THE BOLTS HOLDING THE PAN IN PLACE THE PAN WOULD BE SECURED FROM FALLING WITH A CHAIN OR BLOCKS.WE BELIEVE HE MISS COUNTED THE REMAINING BOLTS TO BE REMOVED AND WHEN HE REMOVED WHAT HE ASSUMED WAS THE NEXT TO LAST BOLT THE BELLY PAN FELL ON HIM.
EMP PREPARING TO ATTACH ELECTRICAL SUPPLY CABLE BETWEEN ADD CAR COAL CONVEYING UNITS WHEN EXPLOSION OCCURRED INBY THE HIGHWALL BEING MINED. EMPLOYEE WAS THROWN OFF LAUNCH PLATFORM SUSTAINING FATAL BLUNT TRAUMA INJURIES AND BURNS.
December 29, 1988KY · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverFatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EMPLOYEE WAS CH5NGING TIRE ON TRUCK. JACK KICKED-OUT FROM UNDER TRUCK STRIKING EMPLOYEE IN CHEST.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Horizon Natural Resources Incorporated 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.