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.
165 citations across 2,015 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
3 Pole has $145K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 5 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.
$145K
proposed penalties
$110K
current assessed
$108K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
162 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $104K in penalties contested before the Commission, $68K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2020-11-05.
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.
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.
22citations taken to the federal commission · 13% of citations on record
Settled
22 · 100%
89%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 18 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
34%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$104K proposed, $68K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-05-19.
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.
MSHA sampling at 3 Pole shows 100% of 158 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: 2020-11-05, 5 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
158
samples
0.79
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.
109 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 49 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 Pole recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2016.
Injury rate, 2016
ⓘ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 3.79 and the all-US-mining average was 2.59 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.14 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
2016 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2015
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014
1.45
0.00
0.000
2013
3.77
0.00
0.000
2012 *
2.77
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
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)
2021
0
2020
0
2019
0
2018
1
2017
1
4,509
2016
15
97,324
2015
33
356,524
2014
49
467,067
2013
45
275,597
2012
42
279,055
2011
30
259,781
2010
30
195,257
2009
23
77,257
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
3 Pole sits in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Buchanan County, Virginia · Population 19,857
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$42,216
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
2021 Q1
0
0
0
2020 Q4
0
0
0
2020 Q3
0
0
0
2020 Q2
0
0
0
2020 Q1
0
0
0
2019 Q4
0
0
0
2019 Q3
0
0
0
2019 Q2
0
0
0
Show 40 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
0
0
0
2018 Q3
0
0
0
2018 Q2
200
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
400
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
405
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
210
1
0
4761.9
2017 Q2
230
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
650
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
590
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
630
2
0
3174.6
2016 Q2
13,568
3
0
221.1
2016 Q1
23,749
2
0
84.2
2015 Q4
25,325
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
25,498
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
25,138
2
0
79.6
2015 Q1
26,218
4
0
152.6
2014 Q4
32,018
6
3
187.4
2014 Q3
32,922
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
36,855
9
3
244.2
2014 Q1
35,794
8
1
223.5
2013 Q4
30,217
2
1
66.2
2013 Q3
25,571
2
0
78.2
2013 Q2
27,791
23
14
827.6
2013 Q1
22,506
9
2
399.9
2012 Q4
16,154
1
1
61.9
2012 Q3
20,570
5
4
243.1
2012 Q2
34,698
1
0
28.8
2012 Q1
864
4
1
4629.6
2011 Q4
29,281
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
19,694
3
2
152.3
2011 Q2
24,114
1
0
41.5
2011 Q1
23,473
5
2
213.0
2010 Q4
19,606
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
21,258
5
2
235.2
2010 Q2
22,491
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
22,946
9
3
392.2
2009 Q4
17,795
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
17,039
11
2
645.6
2009 Q2
7,316
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
8 on file
2014 · 1 incident
August 19, 2014VA · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was walking down the steps of the filter trailer and fell when he got to the bottom step and turned his ankle, resulting in an ankle sprain and small chip to a bone in the ankle.
2013 · 2 incidents
October 26, 2013VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techMACHINERY
Employee was grinding on a welded spot when the hand grinder jumped and hit him on the left hand between the pointer and middle finger causing a laceration that required sutures.
March 8, 2013VA · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
As employee stepped off of the Lube truck his foot slipped and he fell into the ladder on the used oil tank causing a laceration to his left ear that took sutures to close the cut. He was in the process of emptying the used oil tank on the truck into the ground tank. He reported to full work on his next scheduled shift.
Employee was unloading supplies when cutting blades for a grader started shifting. He stepped to get in the clear and tripped over a hydraulic unit, falling to the ground catching his fall with his left hand causing a hair line fracture. He is continuing working his regular job.
June 1, 2012VA · Coaloutside foreman, leadmanOTHER
Employee passed out as he exited truck.Worker saw him covered with mud.No injury occurred.No exposure to toxic hazards.Went to hospital for heart tests found nothing.Was admitted due to infection & given antibiotics.Was taking antibiotics prior to incident.Reporting this as occupational illness MSHA says we must.We do not agree this is reportable would like it removed from record.
A fire was discovered in a day box on a powder truck as a shot bench was being loaded. A brush/tree fire was located near the loading site which may have been the ignition source. No injuries occurred in this incident.
2010 · 1 incident
February 26, 2010VA · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE was inserting a wire into a Bunch Block using a stainless steel razor knife, when it slipped and cut his right index finger. The cut required 5 stitches.
2009 · 1 incident
October 19, 2009VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The employee was standing on top of a loader with a rope in his hand that was tied to a drive line underneath the loader. As he was pulling on the rope he felt pain in his back. He continued to work and on 11-30-09 he was taken off work to start 2-3 weeks of therapy and is still missing work.