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: 608 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Buffalo No 7 has $5K 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
47 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-07-14.
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.
MSHA sampling at Buffalo No 7 shows 97% of 119 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: 2004-02-10, 22 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
119
samples
2.96
dust max (mg/m3)
59 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 60 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 No 7 recorded 4.53 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.
4.53
total case rate
4.53
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below 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 *
4.53
4.53
0.000
2002 *
7.36
7.36
0.000
2001 *
15.69
12.55
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)
2006
0
2005
0
2004
4
18,850
2003
32
281,436
2002
30
393,446
2001
24
409,851
2000
7
155,121
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Buffalo No 7 sits in Perry County, Kentucky, 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.
Perry County, Kentucky · Population 27,847
3.3%
Mining share of county employment
$45,261
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
2006 Q1
0
0
0
2005 Q4
0
0
0
2005 Q3
0
0
0
2005 Q2
0
0
0
2005 Q1
0
0
0
2004 Q4
0
0
0
2004 Q3
3,082
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
3,629
0
0
0.0
Show 17 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2004 Q1
3,201
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
3,911
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
20,222
3
1
148.4
2003 Q2
23,963
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
40,160
4
4
99.6
2002 Q4
23,699
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
19,438
10
2
514.5
2002 Q2
19,804
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
18,567
3
0
161.6
2001 Q4
20,685
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
17,644
4
3
226.7
2001 Q2
15,959
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
9,441
3
1
317.8
2000 Q4
10,189
4
1
392.6
2000 Q3
8,264
4
4
484.0
2000 Q2
0
0
0
2000 Q1
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2003 · 2 incidents
March 6, 2003KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE WAS DUMPING OVERBURDEN WHEN THE GROUND GAVE WAY CAUSING HIS ROCK TRUCK TO TURN OVER. THE TRUCK TURNING OVER CAUSED MULTIPLE CUTS TO VARIOUS AREAS OF HIS BODY, HE BROKE 4 RIBS AS WELL. EE WA S X-RAYED, GOT STITCHES, MEDICATION & WAS ADMITTED.
May 7, 2002KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EMPLOYEE THINKS HE HIT A SOFT SPOT IN THE ROAD, CAUSING HIS ROCK TRUCK TO BOUNCE HIM AROUND. ACCORDING TO HIS DR. THIS LIGAMENT IN HIS RIGHT SHOULDER WAS TORN FORM A PREVIOUS INJURY BUT THIS A CCIDENT TORE IT AGAIN.
EE WAS WAITING TO BE LOADED WHEN THE LOADER OPERATOR DROPPED THE BUCKET INTO THE BED OF THE TRUCK. THE JAR CAUSED HIS AIR SEAT TO BOTTOM OUT INJURING HIS BACK.
EE WAS WAITING TO GET HIS ROCK TRUCK LOADED WHEN THE LOADER MAN DUMPED HIS BUCKET INTO THE ROCK TRUCK A LARGE ROCK FELL INTO THE BED CAUSING IT TO JAR HIM FROM HIS SEAT TO THE FLOOR OF THE ROC K TRUCK.
May 12, 2001KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
EE WAS LIFTING HEAVY PARTS AND USING A SLEDGEHAMMER TO REMOVE A D11 BLADE WHEN HE STARTED FEELING A BURNING SENSATION IN HIS LEFT HIP AND LEG, HE ALSO STARTED PASSING BLOOD.