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Big Branch Mine: 77 MSHA citations Coal

Locust Grove Inc · Surface
Controlled by Edward L Clemons Estate
Amburgy, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518352

Big Branch Mine has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $131 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
2001–2003
Latest incident
Apr 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
77
citations
34
significant & substantial
$8,443
proposed penalties
$8,312
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $131 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Locust Grove Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
36
inspections on record
503
inspection hours
n/a
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.
Rate withheld: 503 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Big Branch Mine has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $131 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.
$8K
proposed penalties
$8K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$131
outstanding
77 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-07-21.
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.
44.2%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
44.2%
reasonably likely or greater
6.5%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 2.6% low, 97.4% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Big Branch Mine shows 97% of 73 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: 2003-07-14, 23 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
73
samples
1.81
dust max (mg/m3)
49 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 24 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR27
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR18
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE14

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2003-01-30, 23 years ago
10.8
silica avg (%)
12
samples
33.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR9
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR3
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2003-09-17, 22 years ago
17%
over PEL
23
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER5
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR5
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2003 100% 20
2002 97% 32
2001 95% 21
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2003 0.8 1
2002 13.5 5
2001 10.3 6
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2003 18% 11
2002 0% 5
2001 29% 7
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Big Branch Mine recorded 14.07 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2003.

Injury rate, 2003
ⓘ 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.
14.07
total case rate
14.07
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.87 and the all-US-mining average was 4.43 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 6.65 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
2003 * 14.07 14.07 0.000
2002 * 2.13 2.13 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
  1. Locust Grove Inc 2001 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)
2004 0
2003 28 215,502
2002 31 363,252
2001 26 211,127
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Big Branch Mine 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
2004 Q3 0 0 0
2004 Q2 0 0 0
2004 Q1 0 0 0
2003 Q4 5,337 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 19,952 9 5 451.1
2003 Q2 23,581 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 22,223 32 10 1439.9
2002 Q4 23,840 0 0 0.0
Show 6 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2002 Q3 22,944 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 23,895 12 7 502.2
2002 Q1 23,273 14 7 601.6
2001 Q4 24,454 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 16,393 4 1 244.0
2001 Q2 13,739 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

9 on file

2003 · 5 incidents

April 18, 2003 KY · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Locust Grove Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS PULLING ON FUEL PUMP TO GET IT STARTED AND HE PULLED SOMETHING IN HIS NECK.

March 6, 2003 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer OTHER
Locust Grove Inc · Struck by flying object

DUST BLEW IN EMPLOYEE'S LEFT EYE. INITIALLY NOT REPORTABLE - EMPLOYEE SOUGHT TREATMENT LATER.

March 4, 2003 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Locust Grove Inc · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

EE WAS SWINGING A SLEDGE HAMMER AND PULLED MUSCLES IN HIS BACK.

January 23, 2003 KY · Coal truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Locust Grove Inc · Fall from machine

EMPLOYEE WAS EXITING GREASE TRUCK WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL INJURING HIS HEAD AND BRUISING HIS BACK.

January 9, 2003 KY · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler MACHINERY
Locust Grove Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS FILLING UP AN OIL TANK ON A TRUCK. A PLASTIC CAP OFF OF AN AIR PUMP BLEW OFF AND HIT EE IN LEFT EYE.

2002 · 1 incident

September 28, 2002 KY · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Locust Grove Inc · Fall from machine

EE WAS EXITING PARTS TRAILER WHEN HE FELL HURTING HIS LOWER BACK.

2001 · 3 incidents

December 6, 2001 KY · Coal truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Locust Grove Inc · Struck by falling object

EE WAS DRIVING HIS ROCK TRUCK WHEN THE WINDOW FELL ON HIS LEFT PINKY. EE WAS X RAYED TREATED AND RELEASED TO RETURN TO WORK.

October 1, 2001 KY · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Locust Grove Inc · Fall from machine

EMPLOYEE WAS IN PROCESS OF GREASING EQUIPMENT WHEN HE STEPPED BACKWARDS OUT OF HIS TRUCK SLIPPED AND FELL BACKWARDS AND HIT HIS HEAD ON A ROCK

September 21, 2001 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Locust Grove Inc · Struck against a moving object

EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A D11 DOZER WHEN IT SLIPPED BACKWARD INTO A HIGHWALL CAUSING INJURY TO HIS RIGHT LEG AND BACK.