Bear Branch has $658K in proposed MSHA penalties and $9K outstanding across 29 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
19
Years on record
2010–2014
Latest incident
May 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
314
citations
114
significant & substantial
$658,197
proposed penalties
$309,635
paid to date
47% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $348,562 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
34
inspections on record
1,846
inspection hours
17.0
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.
314 citations across 1,846 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Bear Branch has $658K in proposed MSHA penalties and $9K outstanding across 29 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.
$658K
proposed penalties
$318K
current assessed
$310K
paid to date
$9K
outstanding
310 assessments are final orders; 29 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-08-21.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Bear Branch shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.17 mg/m3 (100% compliant) across 72 samples.
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.
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 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
4,952
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
20,660
26
7
1258.5
2014 Q2
25,927
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
22,918
31
15
1352.6
2013 Q4
24,053
7
1
291.0
2013 Q3
27,465
24
9
873.8
2013 Q2
30,264
1
1
33.0
Show 18 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2013 Q1
25,078
19
6
757.6
2012 Q4
25,437
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
28,958
30
14
1036.0
2012 Q2
26,330
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
23,340
29
17
1242.5
2011 Q4
31,283
5
2
159.8
2011 Q3
34,694
28
9
807.1
2011 Q2
33,182
2
0
60.3
2011 Q1
30,474
14
2
459.4
2010 Q4
26,392
1
0
37.9
2010 Q3
28,992
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
29,262
17
15
581.0
2010 Q1
24,887
18
2
723.3
2009 Q4
25,071
3
0
119.7
2009 Q3
27,414
19
4
693.1
2009 Q2
27,760
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
24,483
4
1
163.4
2008 Q4
24,134
36
9
1491.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
19 on file
2014 · 3 incidents
May 16, 2014KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was grinding on step of Volvo Truck when the grinding rock busted and a piece hit him on the left side of his face (the jaw area) cutting a gash.
January 14, 2014KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was starting to work and was climbing in 777F rock Truck when his foot slipped on the step throwing him to the ground, hurting his lower middle back.
2013 · 3 incidents
December 14, 2013KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Employee was climbing off of excavator when his feet slipped on the muddy tracks and he slid off onto the ground hurting back of neck and left shoulder.
July 24, 2013KY · Coalgrader operator, roadgrader operatorOTHER
Employee was getting in grader when he opened the door, the wind slammed it shut on his right hand/wrist. Wrist started giving trouble, went to doctor and he put him off from work to see a specialist.
July 22, 2013KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was doing normal installation of a tire on a Mack grease truck when he jerked his back, he said his left side down to top of his left foot is numb.
2012 · 3 incidents
November 29, 2012KY · Coaldriller, highwall operator, highwall drill operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was helping mechanic work on dozer when a wrench fell between push arm and front track of dozer, when trying to get wrench, he slipped and cut left thigh on track.
August 10, 2012KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was cutting a bench with D9 Dozer, went over edge of bench causing dozer to turn over on it's side hurting his left hip and knee. Employee was taken to Mary Beckingridge E.R. in Hyden, Ky. where he was checked out and released.
2011 · 5 incidents
October 12, 2011KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was putting radiator core in D10 Dozer when his feet slipped throwing him between the stabilizer bar and grill of dozer hurting his shoulder/elbow. He didn't miss work until 12/13/2011.
Employee was getting off the truck at quitting time when he slipped and fell hurting his back. Employee did not tell his shift foreman that night, instead he called back and told the day shift foreman the next day.
Employee was bent over moving coal and dirt away from core holes with a rake, when he developed continuous pain in his neck. The pain worsened on 4/04/2011 and he went to the doctor.
Employee was driving the 777 down a hill, when he stated the brakes failed and the truck overturned. The brakes were checked after the accident and seemed fine.
Employee was running a loader when he stated that he hurt his back. Employee refused any first aid help or transport in an ambulance to the hospital. The employee left the job against the advice of the foreman.
Employee was moving a light plant when he walked to his truck, stepping on some ice causing his feet to slip out from under him causing employee to land on his back and back of his head.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
The full compliance file on Bear Branch
A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and
docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF
with the underlying data as CSV.