70% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,199,462 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Labor enforcement (WHD)
US Labor Department wage findings since 2011
1
labor cases
$263,217
back wages owed
519
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 2000
4,981
inspections on record
204,993
inspection hours
7.7
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.
15,780 citations across 204,993 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.
5
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2019-05-07.
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.
$10.5M
proposed penalties
$8.3M
current assessed
$7.3M
paid to date
$1.0M
outstanding
15,443 assessments are final orders; 1,072 contested dockets.
Of $8.2M in penalties contested before the Commission, $6.1M was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-03.
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, 2024
ⓘ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
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.16 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
Under 100,000 employee-hours were reported that year, so a single case moves the rate by two or more. Read the figure as approximate.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
11.82
11.82
0.000
2019
3.14
2.75
0.000
2018
2.96
2.43
0.000
2017
2.60
2.41
0.000
2016
5.65
5.09
0.000
2015
7.50
6.42
0.000
2014
4.76
4.14
0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
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: 2026-08-11
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
22,651
samples
38.11
dust max (mg/m3)
14
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.
9,709 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 12,942 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.
6,232citations taken to the federal commission · 39% of citations on record
Settled
5,965 · 96%
Stood as issued
267 · 4%
98%
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 3,088 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$8.1M proposed, $6.0M 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 2020-05-24. 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.
May 28, 2015KY · Coaloutside foreman, leadmanFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Apex Energy, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
The employee was connecting a chain around the bumper of a tractor to a road grader when the grader rolled back and pinned him between to bumper of the tractor and Grader.
March 25, 2011KY · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorFatality · MACHINERY
Matrix Energy LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Setting miner up to take first cut of coal when he became pinched between miner boom and rib.
September 12, 1995KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorFatality · ELECTRICAL
THE EMPLOYEE WAS GOING TO PARK SHUTTLE CAR. THE CAR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH CABLE WIRING. AS THE EMPLOYEE EXITED SHUTTLE CAR HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE METAL FRAME WHICH CAUSED ELECTRIC SHOC K.
June 25, 1987KY · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
I,NAME WAS BACK3NG OFF-BOARD OPERATED CONTINUOUS MINER AWAY FROM FACE AFTER MAKING CUTWHEN MACHINE RAN OVER REMOTE CABLE CAUSING IT TO BE INOPERATIVE. OTHER EMPLOYEE, ROOF BOLTER OPERATOR, CAM E TO ASSIST I,N5ME IN FREEING CABLE FROM UNDER MACHINE AND TO REPAIR CABLE WHEN A ROOF ROCK APPROX. 5 FT X 4 FT X 5" THICK FILL ON I,NAME AND MACHINE CAUSING DEATH TO HIM AND BACK BRUISES TO
December 3, 1985KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
THE INVESTIGATI2N DETERMED THAT THE EMPLOYEE HAD INSTALLED THE LAST ROOF BOLT IN PROPER SEQUENCE AND WHILE WAITING FOR OTHER OPERATOR TO FINISH HIS CYCLE, HE STEPPED BEYOND PERMENT ROOF SUPPOR T AND WAS STRUC5 BY A ROCK APPROXIMATELY 8X10X10 THICK AND WAS KILLED INSTANTLY.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where James H Booth 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.