Grays Knob, Harlan County,
KY
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518889
Harlan Strip #1 has $110K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 12 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Harlan Strip #1.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
2007–2013
Latest incident
Apr 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
98
citations
34
significant & substantial
$109,918
proposed penalties
$94,216
paid to date
86% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $15,702 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: 787 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Harlan Strip #1 has $110K in proposed MSHA penalties and $5K outstanding across 12 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.
$110K
proposed penalties
$99K
current assessed
$94K
paid to date
$5K
outstanding
97 assessments are final orders; 12 contested dockets.
Of $85K in penalties contested before the Commission, $74K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-06-25.
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.
32citations taken to the federal commission · 33% of citations on record
Settled
29 · 91%
Stood as issued
3 · 9%
90%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
13%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$85K proposed, $74K 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 2014-11-16.
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 Harlan Strip #1 shows 99% of 74 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: 2013-05-09, 13 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
74
samples
1.58
dust max (mg/m3)
59 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 15 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.
Harlan Strip #1 recorded 7.52 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2013.
Injury rate, 2013
ⓘ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.
7.52
total case rate
7.52
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.94 and the all-US-mining average was 2.99 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.63 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
2013 *
7.52
7.52
0.000
2012 *
3.75
0.00
0.000
2011 *
2.27
2.27
0.000
2010 *
3.04
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
1
2016
3
2015
1
2014
4
2013
11
29,885
2012
27
93,899
2011
33
190,056
2010
23
99,595
2009
9
44,356
2008
3
2007
7
41,371
2006
8
34,440
2005
6
13,416
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Harlan Strip #1 sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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 Q4
0
0
0
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
940
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
1,182
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
1,171
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
1,652
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
1,210
0
0
0.0
Show 41 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2015 Q3
0
0
0
2015 Q2
462
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
541
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
1,948
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
1,537
5
2
3253.1
2014 Q1
2,589
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
1,282
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
875
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
7,519
8
3
1064.0
2013 Q1
16,920
1
0
59.1
2012 Q4
15,263
6
1
393.1
2012 Q3
12,941
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
16,144
17
6
1053.0
2012 Q1
9,037
3
0
332.0
2011 Q4
27,956
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
21,133
7
3
331.2
2011 Q2
21,223
8
3
376.9
2011 Q1
17,985
4
2
222.4
2010 Q4
20,788
7
3
336.7
2010 Q3
16,583
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
12,055
6
4
497.7
2010 Q1
16,304
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
15,056
17
6
1129.1
2009 Q3
1,207
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
1,754
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
789
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
0
0
0
2008 Q3
0
0
0
2008 Q2
0
0
0
2008 Q1
1,118
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
3,796
1
0
263.4
2007 Q3
4,509
4
0
887.1
2007 Q2
4,813
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
4,052
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
4,279
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
4,728
2
0
423.0
2006 Q2
4,574
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
3,235
1
0
309.1
2005 Q4
3,145
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
3,130
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
6 on file
2013 · 1 incident
April 12, 2013KY · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The employee was dismounting the excavator, when he stepped from the machine to the dirt landing, he felt his right leg give way, and fell to the ground.
2012 · 1 incident
January 4, 2012KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was stepping onto the beam of the highwall miner and ran into the fork of the forklift. The fork struck him in the top of the head causing a laceration that required 4 staples.
2007 · 1 incident
October 11, 2007KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techOTHER
Worker was replacing piston jack that supports fiberglass hood on front of truck. No safety support was installed and wind blew hood down and pinned worker's arm. Worker was taken to hospital but arm was not broken. Arm was badly bruised.