Deep Mine No 15 has $454K in proposed MSHA penalties and $348K outstanding across 23 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
31
Years on record
2008–2015
Latest incident
Jan 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
321
citations
100
significant & substantial
$453,590
proposed penalties
$82,235
paid to date
18% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $371,355 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.
321 citations across 2,417 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Deep Mine No 15 has $454K in proposed MSHA penalties and $348K outstanding across 23 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.
$454K
proposed penalties
$431K
current assessed
$82K
paid to date
$348K
outstanding
312 assessments are final orders; 23 contested dockets.
Of $409K in penalties contested before the Commission, $386K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-08-08.
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.
118citations taken to the federal commission · 37% of citations on record
Settled
27 · 23%
Stood as issued
91 · 77%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 71 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
6%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$409K proposed, $386K 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 2011-06-02.
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 Deep Mine No 15 shows 95% of 159 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: 2014-12-08, 11 years ago
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
159
samples
3.71
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.
57 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 102 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.
Deep Mine No 15 recorded 37.79 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2010.
Injury rate, 2010
ⓘ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.
37.79
total case rate
15.75
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.50 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
2010 *
37.79
15.75
0.000
2009 *
30.50
18.77
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)
2016
0
2015
1
2014
2
2013
2
2012
2
2011
5
2010
30
74,196
2009
41
136,996
2008
13
29,989
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Deep Mine No 15 sits in Fayette County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 3.0% 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.
Fayette County, West Virginia · Population 39,987
3.0%
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
A roof/highwall fall occurred in the number 4 intake fan entry between the end of the fan house and highwall. Fall/slip was approximately 14' wide x 3' thick x 5' high. Fall was not above anchorage.
2010 · 12 incidents
December 2, 2010WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
EE was tramming scoop on section between #2 and #3 entry when operator's light cord caught a roof bolt plate jerking his head into the canopy of the 488 scoop.
August 16, 2010WV · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was mounting the shuttle car anchor when the shuttle car operator turned the corner the EE was on wrong side and buggy cable pulled against the rib hitting the EE's knee area.
Employee drilled hole in top and steel lodged in hole. As he let down drill pot steel fell, from the hole landing on his left index finger smasheing it against drill chuck.
Hanging miner cable to the #2 miner at the #1 crosscut in front of power center when a piece of rib came out between the timber and the mine roof, catching injury on the left knee pinning him to the bottom
June 27, 2009WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Spot bolting between spad #1425-1426. In 3 Lt one break inby feeder rib started to roll out causing co-worker to move to avoid rib hitting inch trap causing bolter to move and run over employee's left foot.
June 9, 2009WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Putting wet brakes on 488 Scoop on 6/3/09, stained back (lower) and came in to work on 6/4/09, loaded shear hub for feeder with help and felt burning in neck and sharp pain in low back.
May 6, 2009WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
While hanging miner cable across break through employee pushed cable upward, cable came back causing him to twist. He then felt pain in his lower back.
November 10, 2008WV · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
While installing a bottom roller hanger the bottom roller hanger slipped catching EE middle finger between the hanger and the belt rail resulting in his fingernail having to be removed an dstitches in the end of his finger.