Big Branch No. 1: 14 MSHA citations
Coal
Big Branch No. 1 has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 1
- Years on record
- 2005
- Latest incident
- May 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
6
significant & substantial
$1,152
proposed penalties
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2004
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: 166 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 No. 1 has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
14 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2005-09-20.
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.
42.9%
significant & substantial
14.3%
high negligence or reckless
42.9%
reasonably likely or greater
14.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 42.9% low, 42.9% moderate, 14.3% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Big Branch No. 1 shows 100% of 13 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: 2005-09-07, 21 years ago
13 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR3
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2005-09-15, 20 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1
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: 2005-09-07, 21 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR3
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 |
| 2005 |
100% |
10 |
| 2004 |
100% |
3 |
Noise by year
| Year |
over PEL |
samples |
| 2005 |
0% |
9 |
| 2004 |
0% |
3 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
-
R.E.K. Inc.
2004 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) |
| 2005 |
25 |
77,950 |
| 2004 |
25 |
38,975 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Big Branch No. 1 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 |
| 2005 Q2 |
22,008 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
| 2005 Q1 |
22,008 |
3 |
0 |
136.3 |
| 2004 Q4 |
22,008 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
2005 · 1 incident
May 6, 2005
KY · Coal
haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver
POWERED HAULAGE
R.E.K. Inc. · Struck against stationary object
Haul truck #2 bed backed into truck #1 at the main back of the bed. Truck driver was out of cab. Contact caused him to fall to the ground. He broke his wrist area of arm.