Mining Incidents

FORDS BRANCH MINE 1: 1 recorded fatality Metal/Non-Metal

Controlled by Rapid NRG USA, Inc
Dorton, Pike County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519602

FORDS BRANCH MINE 1 has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
1
Years on record
2020
Latest incident
Dec 2020
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2011
40
citations
8
significant & substantial
$9,893
proposed penalties
$9,893
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2011
27
inspections on record
850
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: 850 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

FORDS BRANCH MINE 1 has $10K 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.
$10K
proposed penalties
$10K
current assessed
$10K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
39 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2021-12-29.
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.
20.5%
significant & substantial
2.6%
high negligence or reckless
20.5%
reasonably likely or greater
53.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 20.5% low, 76.9% moderate, 2.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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.

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: 2012-02-28, 14 years ago
0%
over PEL
7
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1

Metal and nonmetal contaminants (personal samples)
Many samples are screening measurements of substances with no applicable exposure limit; they are counted as samples but excluded from every over-limit figure. Over-limit shares use only limit-tested samples.

Last sampled: 2023-05-19, 3 years ago
2
samples
0
limit-tested
Most sampled contaminants
  • Respirable dust, <.1mg2
Show the individual readings (2)
Date Contaminant Concentration Limit Conc / limit Occupation
2023-05-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Supervisor, Co. Official
2023-05-19 Respirable dust, <.1mg 0 Scale Man
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly. Metal/nonmetal contaminant figures come from MSHA's Personal Health Samples and Area Samples files (public record), 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.
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2012 0% 3
2011 0% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Fastrac Mining LLC 2011 to 2015
  2. Black Storm Energy, L.L.C. 2015 to 2020
  3. Virgie Aggregates 2020 to 2020
  4. BLACK STORM ENERGY LLC 2020 to 2020
  5. Rapid FM Aggregates, LLC 2020 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)
2024 0
2023 2
2022 3
2021 7
2020 7
2019 9
2018 10
2017 8
2012 8 1,339
2011 11 9,776
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

FORDS BRANCH MINE 1 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
2024 Q1 0 0 0
2023 Q4 0 0 0
2023 Q3 199 0 0 0.0
2023 Q2 1,397 0 0 0.0
2023 Q1 1,477 0 0 0.0
2022 Q4 2,283 0 0 0.0
2022 Q3 2,247 0 0 0.0
2022 Q2 2,154 0 0 0.0
Show 23 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q1 2,356 0 0 0.0
2021 Q4 2,437 1 0 410.3
2021 Q3 5,647 1 0 177.1
2021 Q2 4,982 0 0 0.0
2021 Q1 4,204 3 0 713.6
2020 Q4 1,322 1 0 756.4
2020 Q3 2,808 0 0 0.0
2020 Q2 3,846 1 1 260.0
2020 Q1 3,998 0 0 0.0
2019 Q4 4,778 3 0 627.9
2019 Q3 3,298 0 0 0.0
2019 Q2 3,870 2 1 516.8
2019 Q1 2,817 3 1 1065.0
2018 Q4 5,471 0 0 0.0
2018 Q3 4,816 0 0 0.0
2018 Q2 3,785 6 1 1585.2
2018 Q1 4,611 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 4,069 3 2 737.3
2017 Q3 2,655 1 0 376.6
2017 Q2 3,211 5 1 1557.1
2012 Q1 2,336 1 0 428.1
2011 Q4 4,798 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 2,387 3 0 1256.8

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
December 15, 2020 KY · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · MACHINERY
Rapid FM Aggregates, LLC · Struck by falling object

Changing the rear tire on a 992D Loader. Jack kicked out and and loader fell down crushing employee.