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.
119 citations across 1,083 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
F-3 Bear Fork has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $72 outstanding across 1 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.
$17K
proposed penalties
$17K
current assessed
$17K
paid to date
$72
outstanding
116 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $132 in penalties contested before the Commission, $120 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-01-09.
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.
2citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
Settled
2 · 100%
0%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
9%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$132 proposed, $120 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2004-10-14.
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 F-3 Bear Fork shows 100% of 81 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: 2007-06-07, 19 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
81
samples
1.41
dust max (mg/m3)
70 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 11 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER18
BLASTER/SHOOTER/SHOTFIRER17
BULLDOZER OPERATOR14
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.
F-3 Bear Fork recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.
Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ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 4.71 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.12 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
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006
1.49
1.49
0.000
2005
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004
11.72
11.72
0.000
2003 *
0.00
0.00
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)
2011
0
2010
6
2009
2
2008
1
2007
14
132,435
2006
42
629,757
2005
57
702,833
2004
43
698,750
2003
35
394,167
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
F-3 Bear Fork sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2011 Q4
0
0
0
2011 Q2
0
0
0
2011 Q1
108
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
1,547
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
1,919
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
3,177
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
4,868
1
0
205.4
2009 Q4
1,720
0
0
0.0
Show 26 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2009 Q3
1,252
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
0
6
1
2008 Q4
0
0
0
2008 Q3
0
0
0
2008 Q2
0
1
0
2008 Q1
1,549
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
1,676
2
0
1193.3
2007 Q3
3,878
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
16,960
7
0
412.7
2007 Q1
24,096
7
4
290.5
2006 Q4
24,883
1
0
40.2
2006 Q3
39,820
3
0
75.3
2006 Q2
29,556
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
39,686
3
3
75.6
2005 Q4
35,252
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
38,832
5
1
128.8
2005 Q2
44,637
3
2
67.2
2005 Q1
38,165
8
4
209.6
2004 Q4
41,081
1
1
24.3
2004 Q3
30,888
3
3
97.1
2004 Q2
28,893
4
4
138.4
2004 Q1
18,577
2
2
107.7
2003 Q4
30,354
3
3
98.8
2003 Q3
25,044
15
7
598.9
2003 Q2
25,004
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
5,487
7
3
1275.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
13 on file
2010 · 2 incidents
October 15, 2010KY · Coalrotary bucket excavator operatorMACHINERY
Operator was digging drainage ditch and was attempting to remove a rock, rock slipped out of excavator bucket and caused machine to whiplash operator from side to side. Operator complained of pain in lower neck and back.
Tramming miner down hill, track began to pop and skip. He was watching track to make sure it didn't come off when it popped again amd something flew from the track and struck him in the right eye.
Working on undercarriage, trying to get top roller off using a hammer, a piece of metal came off the roller and was embedded in the right little finger.
2004 · 8 incidents
December 28, 2004KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
OPERATOR OF D11 DOZER(CO#D12) WAS CLEANING WINDOWS DURING LUNCH BREAK. EE STEPPED BACK AND STEPPED OFF THE CATWALK FALLING TO THE TRACK THEN FALLING AND HITTING PUSH ARM THEN TO THE GROUND.
December 16, 2004KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
EMPLOYEE WAS CLIMBING DOWN THE LADDER ON THE RT. SIDE OF THE HIGHWALL MINER WHEN HE SLIPPED STRIKING HIS RT. ARM ON THE FRAME. HE WORKED UNTIL 6 PM & WENT HOME. WHEN HE GOT UP TO COME TO WORK ON 10/27/04 HIS SHOULDER WAS SORE & HE WENT TO THE DR.
October 19, 2004KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
EE GOT THE DOZER STUCK OVER THE OUT SLOPE, IT WAS REAL STEEP. WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAB HE SLIPPED AND FELL. HE SLID DOWN THE TRACK AND STRUCK THE BLADE OF THE DOZER.
June 5, 2004KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
PUTTING A LINE-UP PIN IN AN INGERSOLL RAND DM45 DRILL TRACK USING A SLEDGE HAMMER. HE HIT THE PIN AND A PIECE OF METAL HIT HIM IN HIS LOWER RIGHT ARM AND EMBEDDED.
May 10, 2004KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
EE COMPLAINED WEEK BEFORE WITH HIS BACK. HE HAD BEEN LIFTING AT HOME. WHEN HE GOT ON DOZER HE SAID HE BACKED OVER A SMALL RIDGE OF DIRT & IT JOLTED HIM SOME & THAT'S WHEN SHARP PAIN HIT HIM & HE YELLED FOR HELP.