Gold Star Mine has $341K in proposed MSHA penalties and $117K outstanding across 11 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
17
Years on record
2012–2015
Latest incident
Nov 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2010
440
citations
167
significant & substantial
$340,507
proposed penalties
$132,294
paid to date
39% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $208,213 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.
440 citations across 5,140 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2014-10-24.
On record since 2014.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Gold Star Mine has $341K in proposed MSHA penalties and $117K outstanding across 11 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.
$341K
proposed penalties
$249K
current assessed
$132K
paid to date
$117K
outstanding
427 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $203K in penalties contested before the Commission, $111K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2018-11-02.
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.
24citations taken to the federal commission · 5% of citations on record
Settled
13 · 54%
Stood as issued
9 · 38%
Vacated or withdrawn
2 · 8%
95%
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 20 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
46%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$206K proposed, $111K 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 2016-12-07.
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 Gold Star Mine shows 98% of 183 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: 2022-03-09, 4 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
183
samples
2.60
dust max (mg/m3)
1
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
126 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 57 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.
Gold Star Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2016.
Injury rate, 2016
ⓘ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 3.79 and the all-US-mining average was 2.59 cases per 100 workers.
In Indiana, coal mining averaged 2.48 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
2016 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2015 *
13.59
3.40
0.000
2014
5.94
2.38
0.000
2013 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012
3.23
3.23
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)
2020
3
2019
3
2018
3
2017
5
2016
22
14,871
2015
29
3,022
2014
63
96,244
2013
56
21,674
2012
63
6,999
2011
15
2010
2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Gold Star Mine sits in Greene County, Indiana, where the Census mining category is 2.4% 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.
Greene County, Indiana · Population 30,954
2.4%
Mining share of county employment
$59,753
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
Horizontal stretch, was the report we have from msha geologist on prior fall. the fall is in line with a prior fall in the same cross cut, running the same direction. I think the top had the same characteristics, as the prior fall. Where the roof support may have not been sufficient during the time the area was mined.
Horizontal stretch was the report we have from msha geologist on prior fall. The fall is in line with a prior fall in the same entry, I think the top had the same characteristics, as the prior fall, with guttering, support used at the time of mining.
October 26, 2015IN · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Miner was walking beside a trailer, a fine piece of medal was sticking out from side of trailer, medal was a ling splinter type of scraped material, still attached to trailer. It was stuck in finger where they had to cut the material from the trailer to free the finger.
October 14, 2015IN · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
He was cutting apart props in pit when a prop slid down and struck little finger between two props on right hand causing a cut and split the nail. Was sent to hospital where they cleaned and stitched the finger.
My determination is the cribs that were constructed were on loose bottoms and or frozen bottoms that a scoop could not get to as per the original prevention support plan. The pressure from the fall continued in-by xc9-10 entry 6 on the 1 MW causing the cribs to fail due to sinking and shrinking of the wooden cribs. The cribs in the fall area were not constructed properly.
A fall was discovered during a pre-shift exam on the morning of 08/09/2015 by the examiner, it was called in as soon as possible. The cause horizontal stretch in the area. That was determined at a later date.
July 8, 2015IN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was installing lagging at roof fall area. While building arch sets, he was holding a piece of lagging to bolt with another employee. The other emoloyee tightened the lagging before EE could clear his hand from between the lagging and structure. Resulting in a laceration to the left middle finger which required stitches, and an x-ray results was a cracked bone.
Shuttle car was stuck in entry #7, EE went to check on the situation. While walking around the corner to entry #7 and was struck by the trailing cable.
installing a roof bolt into the wrench and inadvertently hit his rotation, causing the roof plate to spin and cutting his arm. he was taken to the hospital and received stitches. employee returned to work the next day with light duty restriction.
May 10, 2014IN · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Worker walked around the back of the roof bolter to help his partner, and walked up to him while the partner was swinging a hammer and was struck in the nose. The injury required him to be taken to the hospital for stitches.
2012 · 2 incidents
March 1, 2012IN · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Lily Group Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Installing 12 foot cable bolt at intersection of # 3 entry and #2 crosscut. Miner failed to remove hand from pinch point between boom and pod. Five stitches applied to fifth digit on right hand laceration. Further treatment applied on 3/02/2012 at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Hand surgery was performed by Dr. Glock to reset his nail bed on fifth digit on right hand.