Flint Ridge Mine has $23K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
13
Years on record
2003–2007
Latest incident
Aug 2007
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
86
citations
56
significant & substantial
$23,470
proposed penalties
$21,327
paid to date
91% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,143 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.
Rate withheld: 880 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Flint Ridge Mine has $23K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K 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.
$23K
proposed penalties
$23K
current assessed
$21K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
85 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-08-08.
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.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $1K 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 2007-01-23.
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 Flint Ridge Mine shows 97% of 63 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: 2007-08-08, 19 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
63
samples
1.68
dust max (mg/m3)
53 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 10 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
BULLDOZER OPERATOR21
HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR19
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER12
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.
Flint Ridge Mine recorded 14.28 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.
14.28
total case rate
10.71
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above 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 *
14.28
10.71
0.000
2006
6.35
6.35
0.000
2005
1.45
1.45
0.000
2004 *
2.32
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)
2013
0
2012
0
2011
0
2010
0
2009
0
2008
0
2007
16
104,231
2006
59
365,222
2005
61
546,155
2004
37
360,680
2003
43
459,522
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Flint Ridge Mine sits in Breathitt County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.3% 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.
Breathitt County, Kentucky · Population 13,438
2.3%
Mining share of county employment
$41,101
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
2013 Q4
0
0
0
2013 Q3
0
0
0
2013 Q2
0
0
0
2013 Q1
0
0
0
2012 Q4
0
0
0
2012 Q3
0
0
0
2012 Q2
0
0
0
2012 Q1
0
0
0
Show 35 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2011 Q4
0
0
0
2011 Q3
0
0
0
2011 Q2
0
0
0
2011 Q1
0
0
0
2010 Q4
0
0
0
2010 Q3
0
0
0
2010 Q2
0
0
0
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
0
0
0
2009 Q3
0
0
0
2009 Q2
0
0
0
2009 Q1
0
0
0
2008 Q4
0
0
0
2008 Q3
0
0
0
2008 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q1
0
0
0
2007 Q4
1,087
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
6,387
6
5
939.4
2007 Q2
11,145
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
37,386
11
10
294.2
2006 Q4
32,285
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
38,044
12
9
315.4
2006 Q2
42,324
4
2
94.5
2006 Q1
44,821
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
39,583
4
3
101.1
2005 Q3
29,040
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
38,818
10
3
257.6
2005 Q1
30,661
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
17,440
4
4
229.4
2004 Q3
21,122
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
24,486
4
3
163.4
2004 Q1
23,082
1
0
43.3
2003 Q4
27,307
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
33,049
1
1
30.3
2003 Q2
21,518
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
13 on file
2007 · 5 incidents
August 28, 2007KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was coming down off of a loader. The bottom step was bent backwards and he was unaware of this. When he put his foot where the step was he missed it and it was a long step to the ground and he felt pain in his right side.
EE was dumping a load of material and when the material came out of the bed of the truck it jarred him hurting his back. We did not get this report until 4/3/07 which was the date He started missing work.
February 26, 2007KY · Coalblaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkeyHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was in the process of moving a rock out of the roadway of the powder truck when something snapped in his back causing severe lower back pain. He started missing work on 3/2/07.
Drill operator had gotten off his drill. When he stepped on the bottom step to get back on the drill, the steps moved underneath the catwalk causing him to pull something in the groin area.
Drill operator stated he was tramming his drill on a drill bench when he crossed a hump and his drill rocked forward. The forward motion of the machine was stated to have caused pain in his back.
2006 · 5 incidents
December 2, 2006KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
EE was operating his dozer on layers of rock when one of the upper layers broke causing his dozer to drop sudden resulting in a neck and back injury. This injury occurred on 12/2/06 and he started missing work on 12/20/06.
EE stated that he raised the bed of his rock truck and it jerked his back due to slack in the bed. Another ee ran the truck the remainder of the shift and he stated that there did not seem to be any problem with the truck.
July 12, 2006KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EMPLOYEE WAS DISCONNECTING A DISCHARGE HOSE FROM A 6" WATER PUMP. THE PUMP HAD BEEN RUNNING BUT NOT PUMPING & HAD BECOME VERY HOT, THE HOSE WAS FULL OF STEAM. WHEN THE LINE CAME LOOSE IT HIT THE EMPLOYEE CAUSING BURNS TO HIS RT. ARM & LEG.
OPERATOR OF ROCK TRUCK WAS BACKING UP TO DUMP LOAD AND OVERTURNED. OPERATOR RECEIVED A HEAD WOUND REQUIRING 10 STITCHES. THE TRUCK HAD DAMAGE TO HEAD BOARD.
2003 · 1 incident
September 11, 2003KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON