Gatliff Surface #3 has $52K in proposed MSHA penalties and $260 outstanding across 4 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2006
Latest incident
Aug 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
82
citations
26
significant & substantial
$52,269
proposed penalties
$34,666
paid to date
66% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $17,603 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: 614 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Gatliff Surface #3 has $52K in proposed MSHA penalties and $260 outstanding across 4 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.
$52K
proposed penalties
$35K
current assessed
$35K
paid to date
$260
outstanding
82 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $33K in penalties contested before the Commission, $15K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-09-11.
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.
16citations taken to the federal commission · 20% of citations on record
Settled
15 · 94%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 6%
58%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 12 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
53%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$33K proposed, $15K 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 2008-11-19.
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 Gatliff Surface #3 shows 100% of 114 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: 2009-09-11, 16 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
114
samples
1.32
dust max (mg/m3)
75 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 39 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.
Gatliff Surface #3 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2009.
Injury rate, 2009
ⓘ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 4.16 and the all-US-mining average was 3.36 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.04 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
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
6.12
6.12
0.000
2005 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004 *
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)
2017
14
1,948
2009
21
165,499
2008
26
312,507
2007
30
262,623
2006
28
361,263
2005
28
344,400
2004
30
274,662
2003
25
108,697
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Gatliff Surface #3 sits in Bell County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.6% 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.
Bell County, Kentucky · Population 23,878
3.6%
Mining share of county employment
$32,403
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
2017 Q1
11,200
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
6,557
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
11,194
1
0
89.3
2009 Q2
13,218
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
13,478
1
1
74.2
2008 Q4
13,453
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
13,967
9
5
644.4
2008 Q2
17,150
0
0
0.0
Show 20 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2008 Q1
13,163
6
1
455.8
2007 Q4
14,727
10
5
679.0
2007 Q3
13,925
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
15,530
14
5
901.5
2007 Q1
15,415
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
17,019
2
0
117.5
2006 Q3
14,891
9
0
604.4
2006 Q2
16,957
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
16,493
3
0
181.9
2005 Q4
16,429
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
15,101
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
16,827
4
2
237.7
2005 Q1
16,137
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
13,453
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
17,082
1
0
58.5
2004 Q2
18,795
3
0
159.6
2004 Q1
18,215
3
1
164.7
2003 Q4
19,760
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
15,817
2
1
126.4
2003 Q2
7,045
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
2006 · 2 incidents
August 5, 2006KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Injured had stepped out of the dozer to "relieve" himself, when he slipped on the dozer and fell. He struck his leg against the machine and thought he had broken his leg. He was taken to the Pineville Community Hospital for evaluation and X-rays.
July 11, 2006KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Injured was changing engine on loader. Lost his balance and was unable to catch himself and fell onto the counter weight. He landed on his lower back and tailbone.