Buffalo Deep Mine has $277K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 25 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Buffalo Deep Mine.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
25
Years on record
2017–2019
Latest incident
Oct 2019
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2017
346
citations
73
significant & substantial
$276,751
proposed penalties
$212,704
paid to date
77% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $64,047 gap.
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.
346 citations across 2,507 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Buffalo Deep Mine has $277K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 25 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.
$277K
proposed penalties
$213K
current assessed
$213K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
336 assessments are final orders; 25 contested dockets.
Of $234K in penalties contested before the Commission, $170K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2019-09-25.
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.
173citations taken to the federal commission · 50% of citations on record
Settled
163 · 94%
Stood as issued
10 · 6%
97%
S&S designation survived the contest
ⓘCounts a Significant & Substantial citation as surviving when a settlement or judge's decision kept the designation, or the contest was dismissed or defaulted so the citation stands as issued. Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.
of 64 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
27%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$234K proposed, $170K 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 2019-12-08.
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 Buffalo Deep Mine shows 100% of 1,051 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: 2019-10-07, 6 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
1,051
samples
6.26
dust max (mg/m3)
4
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.
132 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 919 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.
Buffalo Deep Mine recorded 14.11 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2019.
Injury rate, 2019
ⓘ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.
14.11
total case rate
10.08
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.39 and the all-US-mining average was 2.32 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.51 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2019
14.11
10.08
0.000
2018
6.26
5.01
0.000
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)
2020
2
2019
83
178,839
2018
88
270,837
2017
69
104,881
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Buffalo Deep Mine sits in Logan County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 6.6% 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.
Logan County, West Virginia · Population 31,826
6.6%
Mining share of county employment
$47,237
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
2020 Q2
746
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
1,356
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
25,155
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
58,110
25
2
430.2
2019 Q2
60,607
25
4
412.5
2019 Q1
54,628
41
11
750.5
2018 Q4
16,741
44
16
2628.3
2018 Q3
49,979
31
6
620.3
Show 5 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2018 Q2
49,540
29
5
585.4
2018 Q1
43,363
48
6
1106.9
2017 Q4
43,567
38
9
872.2
2017 Q3
32,864
45
12
1369.3
2017 Q2
14,646
20
2
1365.6
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
25 on file
2019 · 14 incidents
October 20, 2019WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hampden Coal LLC · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Employee stated that employee and a co-worker were loading top belt structure into a scoop bucket and the structure twisted and smashed employee's right hand index finger.
October 17, 2019WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hampden Coal LLC · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects
Employee stated that they were in the process of pulling miner cable loop out from under the belt drift to rack on # 1 miner, when they threw a loop of cable on their shoulder they felt a sharp pain towards the middle of their back towards their spine.
August 30, 2019WV · Coalsection foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift bossHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee stated that they were attempting to carry empty oil cans from the feeder through the left buggy dump when they stepped in a hole and felt pain in their left knee.
August 7, 2019WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee stated that IE was attempting to load a shuttle car when the car became hooked on the cable hook of the boom. When the shuttle car pulled away from the miner, the hook broke off the miner. IE stated IE picked up the hook to toss it against the rib and was cut by a bur on the hook.
June 10, 2019WV · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee stated was attempting to service the CM when the employee slipped on a slick rock and leg slid under the back of the machine. This caused pain in left knee.
Employee was attempting to drop the miner cable during a power move when their foot became stuck in the mud. while dropping the cable they twisted and felt a pain in the lower back and left knee.
June 3, 2019WV · Coalexaminer, fire boss, pre-shift examiner, mine examinerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Hampden Coal LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee stated that when attempting to open the inby set of airlock doors near the section, they attempted to grab the top of the door to keep it from slamming against the rib. this caused them to get a finger caught between the door and a roof bolt in the mine roof.
May 18, 2019WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)STRIKING OR BUMPING
Employee stated that when they attempted to turn and duck underneath the canopy of the bolting machine, they struck their face on a roof bolt plate that was hanging over the edge of the bolt tray. This caused a laceration to the right cheek that required sutures. The employee did not miss any scheduled work due to this incident.
Hampden Coal LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee stated that as EE was attempting to raise the battery lid on the scoop, the lid slipped and caught EE's left ring finger between the frame of the battery and the battery lid. This caused a laceration and a fracture to the finger.
Employee was making a cable splice on the #4 S/C when EE's hand slipped which caused the knife to cut the tip of EE's left ring finger requiring sutures. Employee did not miss any scheduled work days due to the injury.
Employee was attempting to install a 6 foot resin bolt but the entry height was only5' 8". When ee attempted to force the bolt into the hole ee felt a pain in back.
August 13, 2018WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Hampden Coal LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
While operating a Shuttle Car, EE's shirt sleeve caught between the coal rib and the SC. frame pulling EE's left arm into contact with the rib resulting in an evulsion to the Left forearm. EE received 16 Sutures.
July 31, 2018WV · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Hampden Coal LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee stated that ee had pulled onto the feeder to dump the shuttle car and stepped out of the buggy to turn seat around without setting the park brake on the center drive shuttle car. The car rolled back and caught lower right leg (calf) between the shuttle car and the mine rib.
February 13, 2018WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Employee stated was attempting to install a roof bolt that was partially bent, when employee activated the rotation to line the bolt up in the drill chuck, the corner of the bearing plate struck the employee in the right forearm causing a laceration. The employee received medical treatment (3 sutures) and returned to the mine for next scheduled shift.
2017 · 5 incidents
November 5, 2017WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee stated that as ee stepped off the platform on the RB machine ee slipped and fell. This caused a pain in back. Employee was taken off work on 11/8/17 on a follow-up visit to the doctor.
Employee state was attempting to remove the weld from a drill pot with a hammer when a piece of metal struck employee in left hand at the base of the thumb. The object was removed the same day as the accident at the ER. Employee did not miss any scheduled work days.
Employee stated that ee was attempting to throw a 1/2" chain onto a scoop when ee felt a pain in left shoulder. Employee did not miss any scheduled work days, but was reported due to modified duty.
Employee stated they were walking in the #3 entry when their foot got stuck in the mud causing them to lose balance and fall striking their right shoulder on the mine floor.