Ember Contracting Inc. · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects
Employee stated that he was checking the fire sensor line. His buggy got stuck and he tried to push it and pulled something in his lower back and left knee.
#1: 992 MSHA citations Coal
Inner Mountain Mining Inc
· Underground
Controlled by
George Chris Waugh
Hueysville,
Knott County,
KY
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518594
#1 has $547K in proposed MSHA penalties and $436K outstanding across 12 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 11
- Years on record
- 2003–2007
- Latest incident
- Oct 2007
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
992
citations
359
significant & substantial
$547,344
proposed penalties
$92,811
paid to date
17% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $454,533 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2003
50
inspections on record
4,428
inspection hours
22.4
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.992 citations across 4,428 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
#1 has $547K in proposed MSHA penalties and $436K outstanding across 12 contested dockets.
Penalty disposition
ⓘ
Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.$547K
proposed penalties
$529K
current assessed
$93K
paid to date
$436K
outstanding
956 assessments are final orders; 12 contested dockets.
Of $323K in penalties contested before the Commission, $305K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-08-07.
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.37.5%
significant & substantial
4.5%
high negligence or reckless
37.5%
reasonably likely or greater
8.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.5% low, 93.0% moderate, 4.5% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, 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.
202
citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
- Settled 93 · 46%
- Stood as issued 109 · 54%
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 97 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
6%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$323K proposed, $305K 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 2009-11-09.
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 mine contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
| Docket | Decision | Judge | Year | Proposed / upheld |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENT 2008-1347 | Prevail | Paez | 2011 | $156K → $156K |
| KENT 2009-957 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $84K → $84K |
| KENT 2005-85 | Settlement | Weisberger | 2005 | $40K → $21K |
| KENT 2009-956 | Default | Lesnick | 2011 | $19K → $19K |
| KENT 2008-1541 | Prevail | Paez | 2011 | $12K → $12K |
| KENT 2008-1542 | Prevail | Paez | 2011 | $4K → $4K |
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at #1 shows 90% of 356 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard.
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: 2009-06-05, 17 years ago
ⓘ
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.90%
within 1.5 mg/m3
356
samples
3.55
dust max (mg/m3)
202 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 154 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR171
- ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)48
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR40
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2009-03-23, 17 years ago2.8
silica avg (%)
17
samples
4.6
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR15
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.
Last sampled: 2009-06-04, 17 years ago
ⓘ
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.0%
over PEL
27
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- SCOOP CAR OPERATOR6
- CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR5
- ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Health sampling trend
ⓘ
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 by year
ⓘ
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.| Year | within 1.5 mg/m3 | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 100% | 12 |
| 2008 | 73% | 37 |
| 2007 | 79% | 38 |
| 2006 | 91% | 57 |
| 2005 | 95% | 63 |
| 2004 | 90% | 80 |
| 2003 | 99% | 69 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 4.6 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3.3 | 4 |
| 2007 | 3.5 | 2 |
| 2006 | 2.6 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2.5 | 3 |
| 2004 | 1.5 | 1 |
| 2003 | 2.2 | 2 |
Noise by year
| Year | over PEL | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0% | 6 |
| 2008 | 0% | 1 |
| 2007 | 0% | 10 |
| 2003 | 0% | 10 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
#1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2008.
Injury rate, 2008
ⓘ
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 4.41 and the all-US-mining average was 3.61 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.87 cases per 100 workers that year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 * | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.000 |
| 2007 * | 15.85 | 15.85 | 0.000 |
| 2006 * | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.000 |
| 2005 * | 2.59 | 2.59 | 0.000 |
| 2004 * | 13.33 | 10.66 | 0.000 |
| 2003 * | 10.30 | 10.30 | 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.
Ownership history
- Murriel-Don Coal Inc. 2003 to 2007
- Ember Contracting Inc. 2007 to 2008
- Inner Mountain Mining Inc 2008 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
ⓘ
Coal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.| Year | Employees | Coal produced (tons) |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 20 | 31,969 |
| 2008 | 16 | 73,658 |
| 2007 | 19 | 57,369 |
| 2006 | 29 | 153,537 |
| 2005 | 31 | 219,231 |
| 2004 | 31 | 251,396 |
| 2003 | 27 | 239,498 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
#1 sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% of county employment.
Local economic context
ⓘ
County figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
ⓘ
Citations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Q2 | 10,444 | 216 | 71 | 20681.7 |
| 2009 Q1 | 10,263 | 141 | 76 | 13738.7 |
| 2008 Q4 | 11,988 | 59 | 35 | 4921.6 |
| 2008 Q3 | 1,286 | 99 | 35 | 76982.9 |
| 2008 Q2 | 9,952 | 12 | 2 | 1205.8 |
| 2008 Q1 | 9,248 | 50 | 19 | 5406.6 |
| 2007 Q4 | 6,869 | 18 | 6 | 2620.5 |
| 2007 Q3 | 9,352 | 74 | 18 | 7912.7 |
Show 18 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Q2 | 7,884 | 31 | 2 | 3932.0 |
| 2007 Q1 | 1,135 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006 Q4 | 15,019 | 5 | 1 | 332.9 |
| 2006 Q3 | 10,422 | 10 | 8 | 959.5 |
| 2006 Q2 | 19,554 | 28 | 9 | 1431.9 |
| 2006 Q1 | 18,289 | 36 | 19 | 1968.4 |
| 2005 Q4 | 18,632 | 6 | 2 | 322.0 |
| 2005 Q3 | 17,532 | 5 | 0 | 285.2 |
| 2005 Q2 | 21,234 | 3 | 0 | 141.3 |
| 2005 Q1 | 19,934 | 5 | 1 | 250.8 |
| 2004 Q4 | 18,573 | 5 | 0 | 269.2 |
| 2004 Q3 | 18,744 | 32 | 6 | 1707.2 |
| 2004 Q2 | 18,298 | 40 | 19 | 2186.0 |
| 2004 Q1 | 19,415 | 12 | 0 | 618.1 |
| 2003 Q4 | 17,111 | 43 | 12 | 2513.0 |
| 2003 Q3 | 14,633 | 11 | 1 | 751.7 |
| 2003 Q2 | 16,039 | 3 | 0 | 187.0 |
| 2003 Q1 | 10,475 | 23 | 10 | 2195.7 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file2007 · 2 incidents
September 3, 2007
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
MACHINERY
Ember Contracting Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was bolting mine roof top and caught his finger between roof plate and mine top causing lacerations/cuts to left index finger.
2005 · 1 incident
May 17, 2005
KY · Coal
laborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler
POWERED HAULAGE
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Struck against stationary object
Riding on a electric buggy when he hit his head on the roof causing injury to head, neck and back.
2004 · 5 incidents
August 11, 2004
KY · Coal
section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss
FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Struck by falling object
EE WAS OPERATING A BUGGY WHEN HE SAW A SCOOP STUCK. HE GOT OFF THE BUGGY AND HELPED GET THE SCOOP UNSTUCK. WHILE HE WAS CRAWLING BACK TO HIS BUGGY, A LARGE PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL ON HIM.
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects
EE WAS SWINGING A SLEDGE HAMMER WHILE BUSTING UP ROCK AND HIS RIGHT SHOULDER CAME OUT OF THE SOCKET.
June 22, 2004
KY · Coal
section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss
HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EE WAS TAMPING A FEEDER HOLE WHEN HE TWISTED AND FELT PAIN IN HIS LOWER RIGHT HIP THAT RADIATES DOWN HIS LEG AND CAUSES PAIN AND NUMBNESS IN HIS RIGHT FOOT.
May 22, 2004
KY · Coal
discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator
IGNITION OR EXPLOSION OF GAS OR DUST
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Contact with hot objects or substances
EE TRAMMED A 482 SCOOP INTO THE #10 HEADING WHEN THE SCOOP QUIT. HE GOT OFF, TOOK THE PANEL BOARD OFF & BEGAN TO WORK ON CAPACITORS. HE STATES THERE WAS A FLASH OF LIGHT AND HE GOT A FACIAL BURN. EITHER DURING THAT TIME OR SOMETIME AFTER, AN IGNITION OCCURRED IN THE AREA TRAVELING ACROSS THE LAST OPEN CROSSCUT FROM #10 TO #8 & OUTBY THE OPEN CROSSCUT A DISTANCE OF 2 CROSSCUTS.
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Struck against stationary object
EE WAS BACKING CUTTER OUT OF #10 HEADING AND RAN OVER LOOSE COAL CAUSING HIM TO JAM HIS HEAD INTO THE ROOF INJURING HIS NECK AND SHOULDERS.
2003 · 3 incidents
July 25, 2003
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
MACHINERY
Murriel-Don Coal Inc. · Struck by falling object
EMPLOYEE WAS TRAMMING ROOF BOLTER WHEN RIB FELL INJURING RIGHT LEG.
EMPLOYEE WAS REACHING TO PLUG SCOOP BATTERIES IN AND HURT HIS BACK.
EMPLOYEE WAS ROOF BOLTING WHEN HE BENT A BOLT & HURT HIS BACK. HE WENT ON VACATION 6/29-7/7/03. RETURNED TO WORK 7/7 & WORKED 7/8. NOTIFIED EMPLOYER OF ACCIDENT 7/15/03.