77% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,785,464 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
3,318
inspections on record
141,802
inspection hours
9.7
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.
13,775 citations across 141,802 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.
$7.6M
proposed penalties
$5.8M
current assessed
$5.8M
paid to date
$0
outstanding
13,526 assessments are final orders; 423 contested dockets.
Of $5.1M in penalties contested before the Commission, $3.3M was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-09-17.
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, 2015
ⓘ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.
9.61
total case rate
2.91
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2015
9.61
2.91
0.000
2014
4.02
2.07
0.000
2013
3.84
1.98
0.000
2012
4.45
2.65
0.000
2011
3.52
1.98
0.000
2010
4.67
2.76
0.000
2009
4.71
3.63
0.000
2008
5.54
2.56
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: 2015-09-18, 10 years ago
94%
within 1.5 mg/m3
12,210
samples
8.56
dust max (mg/m3)
9
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.
6,835 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 5,375 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.
2,386citations taken to the federal commission · 17% of citations on record
Settled
2,331 · 98%
Stood as issued
51 · 2%
Vacated or withdrawn
4 · 0%
92%
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 1,435 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
35%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5.0M proposed, $3.2M 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 2016-04-05. 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.
On December 12, 2009 at approximately 6:38 am, a pre-dawn, low temperature accident occurred on a haulage road at PE Southern Pike Co. The driver of DT 178 exited the loaded coal truck, resulting in his death.
November 23, 2009KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · HOISTING
Two employees were struck by the boom of the pivoting hoist. At this point in the investigation, it appears that the boom or boom hoist ropes came in contact with an adjacent structure as the boom was being lowered. The elevation of the boom changed suddenly as the boom hoist rope or boom lost contact with the structure, striking both individuals.
June 3, 2008KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanFatality · MACHINERY
Employee was walking up to a stopping that had just been knocked down by a scoop when a piece of rock fell from between bolts and struck him on the back.
DRIVER FAILED TO NEGOTIATE CURVE AT FOOT OF HILL STARTING ACROSS ONE LANE AND SENT OVER BRIDGE.
November 27, 2001KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
F-600 WAS TRAVELING DOWN ROADWAY APPROXIMATELY 8% GRADE; FAILED TO NEGOTIATE CURVE AT INTERSECTION TRAVELING OVER BERM AND HIGH WALL RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES.
December 10, 1990KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
EMPL & OTHERS OF DEADWORK CREW REINSTALLING ROOF BOLTS AFTER SMALL ROOF FALL OCCURRED.THE PTO ON SPEEDCO DRILL GOT HOT.THEY ALLOWED IT TO COOL.AFTER EMPL PLUGGED PTO BACK IN,A RIB ROLLED OVER ON RAILRUNNER PINNING EMPL BETWEEN ROLL AND RAILRUNNER.FALL 48" X 46" X 7" STRUCK ON HEAD.
HE FELL FROM 4TH FLOOR OF PREPARATION PLANT, HE APPARENTLY GOT HIS WELDING GLOVE CAUGHT ON METAL CAUSING HIM TO BE DRUG OUT OF DOOR CAUSING INJURY - FATAL.
FOR UNKNOWN REASONS THE VICTIM'S TRUCK ROLLED APPROX. 75 FEET DOWN AN ELEVATED HAUL ROAD FROM IT'S DUMPING POINT WHERE IT THEN CROSSED THE ROAD BERM AND OVERTURNED DOWN THE APPROX. 55 FOOT HIG H SPOIL SLOPE AND CAME TO REST ON THE HAUL ROAD BELOW. THE VICTIM WHO WAS NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS WAS THROWN FROM THE TRUCK WHEN IT REACHED BOTTOM OF THE SLOPE.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where TECO Energy 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.