Harris Branch/Tackett Creek Surface Mine has $104K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 9 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
22
Years on record
2005–2009
Latest incident
Apr 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
140
citations
70
significant & substantial
$103,791
proposed penalties
$53,413
paid to date
51% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $50,378 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: 963 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Harris Branch/Tackett Creek Surface Mine has $104K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 9 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.
$104K
proposed penalties
$53K
current assessed
$53K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
133 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $85K in penalties contested before the Commission, $35K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-03-30.
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.
34citations taken to the federal commission · 24% of citations on record
Settled
34 · 100%
94%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 32 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
59%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$85K proposed, $35K 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 2009-05-01.
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 Harris Branch/Tackett Creek Surface Mine shows 99% of 137 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: 2009-04-27, 17 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
137
samples
1.60
dust max (mg/m3)
102 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 35 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.
Harris Branch/Tackett Creek Surface Mine recorded 14.79 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2008.
Injury rate, 2008
ⓘ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.
14.79
total case rate
3.70
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.41 and the all-US-mining average was 3.61 cases per 100 workers.
In Tennessee, coal mining averaged 4.00 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
2008 *
14.79
3.70
0.000
2007
14.16
8.26
0.000
2006
3.13
2.09
0.000
2005
3.79
1.89
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)
2009
6
20,881
2008
25
99,382
2007
75
431,988
2006
74
452,055
2005
34
249,258
2004
15
106,585
2003
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Harris Branch/Tackett Creek Surface Mine sits in Claiborne County, Tennessee, where the Census mining category is 1.0% 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.
Claiborne County, Tennessee · Population 32,221
1.0%
Mining share of county employment
$46,587
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
2009 Q3
0
0
0
2009 Q2
4,706
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
6,450
11
5
1705.4
2008 Q4
7,048
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
9,589
20
16
2085.7
2008 Q2
18,605
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
18,838
5
1
265.4
2007 Q4
38,256
0
0
0.0
Show 16 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q3
33,772
31
17
917.9
2007 Q2
43,278
17
11
392.8
2007 Q1
54,182
7
3
129.2
2006 Q4
59,938
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
46,487
7
6
150.6
2006 Q2
44,880
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
40,226
6
0
149.2
2005 Q4
34,648
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
33,583
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
27,075
11
2
406.3
2005 Q1
10,290
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
16,353
3
0
183.5
2004 Q3
7,247
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
7,037
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
3,600
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
22 on file
2009 · 1 incident
April 8, 2009TN · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was lifting metal out of the bed of his pick - up truck, as he was shifting his weight to throw the metal from the truck he felt a sharp pain run up his left side.
Employee was welding on a 777C Rock Truck Bed, and a piece of Slag flew up and struck the employee below the left eye, causing a mild burn below his eye.
June 6, 2008TN · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
D9R dozer operator was traveling in reverse and struck a 777C rock truck in the rear, the rock truck was also traveling in reverse. The D9R operator states he didn't see the rock truck as he began to go in reverse, the rock truck driver also states he did not see the D9R dozer through his mirrors as he was traveling in reverse.
Employee was climbing down the ladder of the truck he had been driving and slipped catching his foot/ankle in the step causing him to fall to the ground.
2007 · 12 incidents
November 30, 2007TN · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was stepping up on the boarding ladder. As he began climbing up on the ladder, he felt a very sharp pain shoot up his lower back. The pain progressed when he started working, causing him to leave early.
October 31, 2007TN · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was hitting the side of powered bin with a sledge hammer. The hammer came back and struck the employee in the right rib cage causing him to black out hitting his head on the beam of the powered bin.
October 26, 2007TN · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was pushing material down to 992D loader with a D9R dozer co. # M37 & the machine's blade slipped off a rock causing a sudden jerk, which resulted in EE having sudden pain in lower abdomen.
September 17, 2007TN · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerEXPLODING VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE
Employee was assisting in removing the 4" discharge hose which was wrapped around pump during transport. As employee pulled on hose, which had become tangled, the coupling on end of hose came loose and struck employee.
Employee was removing a hydrolic hose and the wrench slipped off the hose fitting causing the wrench to his the employee in the forehead, which caused a laceration to his forehead.
July 15, 2006TN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
AS EE UNCOUPLED A 6" DISCHARGE HOSE FROM A PUMP, THE HOSE, BEING UNDER PRESSURE, MOVED TO THE LEFT, STRIKING THE EE ON THE LEG. THE METAL HOSE COUPLING BROKE EE'S LEG.
August 30, 2005TN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)