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.
344 citations across 2,041 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
#3 has $93K in proposed MSHA penalties and $79K outstanding across 0 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.
$93K
proposed penalties
$93K
current assessed
$15K
paid to date
$79K
outstanding
330 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-11-02.
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.
MSHA sampling at #3 shows 91% of 232 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: 2009-12-07, 16 years ago
91%
within 1.5 mg/m3
232
samples
7.01
dust max (mg/m3)
113 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 119 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.
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.
#3 recorded 7.83 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2009.
Injury rate, 2009
ⓘ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.
7.83
total case rate
7.83
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.16 and the all-US-mining average was 3.36 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.04 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
2009 *
7.83
7.83
0.000
2008 *
12.49
12.49
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.
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)
2011
0
2010
9
1,246
2009
18
58,839
2008
17
72,112
2007
19
42,401
2006
19
24,275
2004
0
2003
14
14,815
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
#3 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
2011 Q1
0
0
0
2010 Q2
0
0
0
2010 Q1
1,307
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
7,828
9
2
1149.7
2009 Q3
6,446
30
9
4654.0
2009 Q2
4,013
13
4
3239.5
2009 Q1
7,269
15
2
2063.6
2008 Q4
7,417
17
12
2292.0
Show 9 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2008 Q3
7,498
29
3
3867.7
2008 Q2
8,411
20
6
2377.8
2008 Q1
8,707
10
5
1148.5
2007 Q4
8,060
19
5
2357.3
2007 Q3
7,833
15
2
1915.0
2006 Q4
8,017
45
11
5613.1
2004 Q1
0
10
6
2003 Q4
6,180
25
16
4045.3
2003 Q3
2,031
4
3
1969.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file
2009 · 1 incident
July 13, 2009KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was busting rock at section loading point with a sledge hammer. He swung the hammer and his hand hit the feeder and broke the bone at the end of his finger.
2008 · 2 incidents
June 20, 2008KY · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
LA Energy LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee reached over top of scoop while scoop was still energized. When he sat back down in the operator's deck, his body caught the steering lever causing scoop to steer itself under low roof, catching employee's body between roof and the scoop.
Employee was drilling a hole in roof to install a roof bolt when a small piece of rock broke loose from roof and fell on his hand and drill pot of bolter breaking the middle finger on his left hand.