Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Fall from machine
WAS TRYING TO ACCESS CAB OF TRUCK, FOOT SLIPPED ON STEP ON FUEL TANK AND LOST BALANCE AND FELL BACKWARDS, STRIKING THE FROZEN GROUND ON HIS BACK.
Blue Ridge: 8 reportable incidents Coal
Seminole Coal Resources LLC
· Surface
Controlled by
Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund (VCLF)
Oakman,
Walker County,
AL
·
Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 0103037
MSHA sampling at Blue Ridge shows 100% of 2 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard, plus the mine's fatality, citation, and penalty record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 8
- Years on record
- 1997–2002
- Latest incident
- Feb 2002
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
6
inspections on record
23
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: 23 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Blue Ridge shows 100% of 2 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: 2001-08-29, 24 years ago
ⓘ
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.100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
2
samples
0.65
dust max (mg/m3)
2 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1
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: 2001-08-29, 24 years ago
ⓘ
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.0%
over PEL
2
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
- HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
- Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc 1994 to 2016
- Seminole Coal Resources LLC 2016 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 1 | 3,547 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Blue Ridge sits in Walker County, Alabama, where the Census mining category is 3.3% 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.Walker County, Alabama · Population 64,886
3.3%
Mining share of county employment
$54,509
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 Q3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Q3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Q2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Q1 | 2,062 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
8 on file2002 · 1 incident
1999 · 2 incidents
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EE WAS DESCENDING AN EMBANKMENT (MOVING FROM 1 DRILL BENCH TO ANOTHER) WHEN LOOSE MATERIAL SLID FROM UNDERNEATH HIS FEET CAUSING HIM TO FALL FACE FORWARD SEVERAL FEET DOWN THE EMBANKMENT. HE S UFFERED SCRAPES AND ABRSIONS TO HIS FACE, HANDS AND KNEES.
January 22, 1999
AL · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)
MECHANIC WAS DISMOUNTING DOZER WHEN RT FOOT SLIPPED AND WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE TRACK OF THE DOZER. MECHANIC FELL BACKWARD OFF MACHINE AND WAS SUSPENDED IN AIR BY RT LEG.
1998 · 3 incidents
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface
EE WAS DRAGGING A TRAIL CABLE DURING MOVEMENT OF DRAGLINE AND STEPPED ONTO LOOSE MATERIAL CAUSING BODY TO TWIST, RESULTING IN STRAIN OF LOWER BACK.
July 6, 1998
AL · Coal
crane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, rigger
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EMPLOYEES WERE REPLACING A DUMP CABLE ON 1300 DRAGLINE. WHEN BAND HOLDING COILED CABLE WAS CUT, EMPLOYEE WAS STANDING IN WRONG PLACE. END OF CABLE SLAPPED EMPLOYEES LOWER RIGHT LEG CAUSES BRUI SES AND CONTUSIONS (NO FRACTURE).
January 7, 1998
AL · Coal
laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman
MACHINERY
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Struck against a moving object
LOOSE MATERIAL ALONG EDGE OF LOW WALL MOVED CAUSING DOZER TO ROLL OVER/DOWN EMBANKMENT. EE'S HEAD STRUCK OR WAS STRUCK BY SOMETHING WHICH LACERATED BACK OF HIS HEAD. THE BLOW ALSO FRACTURED HI S SKULL. INJURY REQUIRED SAME DAY SURGERY AND EEWAS RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL NEXT DAY. DOZER ROLLED 11/4 TURNS.
1997 · 2 incidents
July 16, 1997
AL · Coal
bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer
MACHINERY
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects
LEAVES AND DEBRIS HAD COLLECTED AORUND FAN SHROUD OF DOZER. EE ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR AREA WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND LEFT RING FINGER WAS STRUCK BY FAN BLADE RESULTING IN LACERATED, BROKEN FINGER.
May 27, 1997
AL · Coal
front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator
MACHINERY
Taft Coal Sales & Associates Inc · Struck against a moving object
EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT TO ANOTHER AREA OF MINE. TRANSMISSION BECAME DISENGAGED AND ENGINE STALLED. MACHINE WENT DOWN INCLINED ROADWAY WITH HIS BRAKES AVAILABLE. EMPLOYEE STEERE D EQUIPMENT OFF ROAD AND OVER ROCKY AREA TO STOP VEHICLE. EMPLOYEE WAS THROWN ABOUT IN CAB OF VEHICLE.