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.
26 citations across 1,108 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Black Hawk has $5K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
26 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $100 in penalties contested before the Commission, $100 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-03-24.
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.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 100%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$100 proposed, $100 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-11-12.
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 Black Hawk shows 99% of 208 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: 2026-06-11
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
208
samples
1.60
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.
125 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 83 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.
Black Hawk recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2018.
Injury rate, 2018
ⓘ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 3.34 and the all-US-mining average was 2.33 cases per 100 workers.
In Illinois, coal mining averaged 3.41 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
2018 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2017 *
4.75
4.75
0.000
2016 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2015 *
5.72
2.86
0.000
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
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)
2026
5
3,877
2025
2
2024
0
2023
2
9,145
2022
1
2021
2
2020
3
2019
10
39,190
2018
20
316,215
2017
19
391,612
2016
26
410,984
2015
29
697,428
2014
31
920,124
2013
27
640,865
2012
20
158,810
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Black Hawk sits in Randolph County, Illinois, where the Census mining category is 1.8% 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.
Randolph County, Illinois · Population 30,142
1.8%
Mining share of county employment
$68,870
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
2026 Q2
2,943
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
2,416
1
0
413.9
2025 Q4
1,678
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
152
1
0
6578.9
2025 Q2
0
0
0
2025 Q1
0
0
0
2024 Q4
0
0
0
2024 Q3
0
0
0
Show 49 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
0
0
0
2024 Q1
0
1
0
2023 Q4
554
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
621
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
1,041
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
2,090
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
681
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
0
0
0
2022 Q2
602
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
528
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
952
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
956
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
1,242
1
0
805.2
2021 Q1
1,040
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
1,018
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
1,303
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
1,570
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
1,999
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
744
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
3,426
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
5,199
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
8,543
1
0
117.1
2018 Q4
8,253
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
9,649
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
10,202
3
0
294.1
2018 Q1
10,552
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
7,132
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
11,289
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
11,356
3
2
264.2
2017 Q1
12,354
3
0
242.8
2016 Q4
10,907
1
1
91.7
2016 Q3
10,450
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
11,203
1
0
89.3
2016 Q1
13,014
1
0
76.8
2015 Q4
13,527
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
17,908
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
18,323
1
0
54.6
2015 Q1
20,126
1
1
49.7
2014 Q4
18,578
1
0
53.8
2014 Q3
17,967
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
16,590
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
16,551
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
12,826
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
12,572
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
13,120
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
18,457
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
16,082
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
9,369
1
0
106.7
2012 Q2
3,483
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
6 on file
2017 · 1 incident
May 24, 2017IL · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was getting off of the dozer and slipped, striking employee's left shin on the push arm of the dozer. Employee continued working until 5-31-2017.
Employee was operating a John Deere 850J dozer clearing brush when the dozer traveled onto a stump and fell off, causing him to strike his left shoulder against the inside of the dozer cab. The first day of work missed was 7/13/2012.