Mining Incidents

Charolais Mine #3: 24 MSHA citations Coal

Graham, Muhlenberg County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518482

Charolais Mine #3 has $2K 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
4
Years on record
2002–2005
Latest incident
May 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2002
24
citations
3
significant & substantial
$1,547
proposed penalties
$1,547
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2002
21
inspections on record
611
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: 611 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Charolais Mine #3 has $2K 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
24 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2005-08-02.
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.
12.5%
significant & substantial
16.7%
high negligence or reckless
12.5%
reasonably likely or greater
16.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 4.2% low, 79.2% moderate, 16.7% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Charolais Mine #3 shows 100% of 34 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: 2005-08-02, 21 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
34
samples
0.69
dust max (mg/m3)
34 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR9
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER6
  • ROAD GRADER OPERATOR6

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: 2004-10-20, 21 years ago
38%
over PEL
24
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR5
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE5
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR4
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% 3
2004 100% 15
2003 100% 6
2002 100% 10
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2004 20% 10
2003 0% 4
2002 70% 10
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Charolais Mine #3 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2005.

Injury rate, 2005
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 5.11 and the all-US-mining average was 4.21 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.46 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
2005 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2004 * 2.28 2.28 0.000
2003 * 2.59 0.00 0.000
2002 * 3.15 3.15 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.
Ownership history
  1. Charolais Coal No. 1 LLC 2001 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 26 288,126
2004 40 681,176
2003 39 291,593
2002 31 364,191
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Charolais Mine #3 sits in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.2% 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.
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky · Population 30,712
3.2%
Mining share of county employment
$52,672
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 Q4 816 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 6,777 1 1 147.6
2005 Q2 24,012 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 14,093 1 0 71.0
2004 Q4 20,598 1 0 48.5
2004 Q3 16,413 2 0 121.9
2004 Q2 26,912 3 0 111.5
2004 Q1 23,951 3 0 125.3
Show 8 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2003 Q4 28,020 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 18,397 2 0 108.7
2003 Q2 18,614 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 12,205 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 18,230 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 16,994 3 0 176.5
2002 Q2 17,954 1 0 55.7
2002 Q1 10,214 2 0 195.8
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

4 on file

2005 · 1 incident

May 17, 2005 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Charolais Coal No. 1 LLC · Fall from machine

Truck driver fell approximately ' to 8' from the side of his bed while descending the bed ladder.

2004 · 1 incident

May 10, 2004 KY · Coal assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management POWERED HAULAGE
Charolais Coal No. 1 LLC · Struck by powered moving object

EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING FROM HOPPER TO FINES PLANT. HE THOUGHT LOADER WAS BACKING AWAY, INSTEAD LOADER CAME AROUND END OF HOPPER STRIKING EE ON HARD HAT W/LOADER BUCKET, KNOCKING HIM TO THE GROUND. LOADER OPERATOR NEVER SAW EE & KEPT GOING, EE ROLLED BETWEEN FRONT LOADER TIRES, FRONT LINE EDGE RAN OVER EE'S LT. ARM FRACTURING BONE.

2003 · 1 incident

January 8, 2003 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Charolais Coal No. 1 LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS CUTTING A PIECE OF MINE BELT FOR A BELT SKIRT, UTILITY KNIFE SLIPPED AND CUT BELOW FINGERS ON LEFT HAND.

2002 · 1 incident

May 10, 2002 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Charolais Coal No. 1 LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS STEPPING DOWN FROM A HAUL TRUCK ANDSTEPPED ON A ROCK, TWISTING HIS RIGHT ANKLE, RESULTING IN A SPRAINED ANKLE.