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.
233 citations across 1,223 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Elm Lick Mine has $308K in proposed MSHA penalties and $22K outstanding across 3 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.
$308K
proposed penalties
$287K
current assessed
$266K
paid to date
$22K
outstanding
228 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $57K in penalties contested before the Commission, $37K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-01-03.
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.
4citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
Settled
4 · 100%
50%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
36%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$57K proposed, $37K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2011-05-07.
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 Elm Lick Mine shows 100% of 69 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: 2012-01-05, 14 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
69
samples
1.03
dust max (mg/m3)
61 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 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.
Elm Lick Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2011.
Injury rate, 2011
ⓘ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 3.83 and the all-US-mining average was 3.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.28 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
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010
2.93
2.93
0.000
2009
6.63
6.63
0.000
2008
2.88
2.88
0.000
2007
8.40
8.40
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)
2012
0
2011
29
399,654
2010
52
891,479
2009
47
842,003
2008
52
1,046,803
2007
52
1,345,317
2006
9
1,748
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Elm Lick Mine 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
2012 Q4
0
0
0
2012 Q3
0
0
0
2012 Q2
0
0
0
2012 Q1
0
1
0
2011 Q4
15,508
4
1
257.9
2011 Q3
21,671
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
21,678
2
1
92.3
2011 Q1
29,393
6
3
204.1
Show 17 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2010 Q4
34,509
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
38,572
3
2
77.8
2010 Q2
33,017
17
7
514.9
2010 Q1
30,560
2
1
65.4
2009 Q4
32,842
30
17
913.5
2009 Q3
27,514
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
30,116
21
9
697.3
2009 Q1
30,168
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
35,638
14
6
392.8
2008 Q3
31,675
32
12
1010.3
2008 Q2
33,459
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
38,027
10
7
263.0
2007 Q4
39,696
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
33,467
21
7
627.5
2007 Q2
37,514
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
32,115
10
3
311.4
2006 Q4
6,172
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
15 on file
2010 · 2 incidents
October 5, 2010KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorMACHINERY
Employee was setting beam on hwm when something gave way allowing the arm to swing around and hit ee in the head knocking him to the motor injuring his right foot and head.