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.
535 citations across 4,755 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
# 4 has $147K in proposed MSHA penalties and $119K outstanding across 16 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.
$147K
proposed penalties
$144K
current assessed
$25K
paid to date
$119K
outstanding
531 assessments are final orders; 16 contested dockets.
Of $19K in penalties contested before the Commission, $10K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-03-11.
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.
30citations taken to the federal commission · 6% of citations on record
Settled
22 · 73%
Stood as issued
5 · 17%
Vacated or withdrawn
3 · 10%
91%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 22 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
48%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$19K proposed, $10K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2012-05-21.
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 # 4 shows 94% of 390 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: 2015-11-06, 10 years ago
94%
within 1.5 mg/m3
390
samples
11.76
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.
182 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 208 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.
# 4 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.
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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.56 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
2015 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
5.21
0.00
0.000
2009 *
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)
2015
14
53,109
2014
14
73,693
2013
11
59,223
2012
11
14,362
2011
9
32,437
2010
15
92,023
2009
15
95,559
2008
6
14,771
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
# 4 sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2015 Q4
4,480
13
4
2901.8
2015 Q3
7,840
23
2
2933.7
2015 Q2
5,600
18
2
3214.3
2015 Q1
5,040
54
15
10714.3
2014 Q4
5,600
30
7
5357.1
2014 Q3
7,280
35
4
4807.7
2014 Q2
7,280
35
4
4807.7
2014 Q1
7,280
37
5
5082.4
Show 21 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2013 Q4
6,720
39
8
5803.6
2013 Q3
6,720
45
10
6696.4
2013 Q2
5,936
51
14
8591.6
2013 Q1
0
1
0
2012 Q2
520
1
0
1923.1
2012 Q1
12,167
25
5
2054.7
2011 Q4
8,086
9
1
1113.0
2011 Q3
2,489
1
0
401.8
2011 Q2
1,927
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
10,202
6
1
588.1
2010 Q4
10,251
22
4
2146.1
2010 Q3
8,864
1
0
112.8
2010 Q2
9,303
11
5
1182.4
2010 Q1
9,975
4
1
401.0
2009 Q4
9,668
8
2
827.5
2009 Q3
8,736
10
1
1144.7
2009 Q2
8,963
15
4
1673.5
2009 Q1
7,065
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
7,340
18
4
2452.3
2008 Q3
0
0
0
2008 Q2
2,823
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
2010 · 1 incident
August 27, 2010KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorELECTRICAL
EE was beginning to make a belt and power move, he was attaching hangers to side power center to hang the miner cable in once move begins and somehow he got shocked.