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: 369 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Hickory Grove has $4K 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
44 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-08-07.
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.
MSHA sampling at Hickory Grove shows 99% of 103 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: 2007-12-07, 18 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
103
samples
1.95
dust max (mg/m3)
56 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 47 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.
Hickory Grove recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.
Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ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 4.71 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In Alabama, coal mining averaged 6.02 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
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2005 *
8.70
0.00
0.000
2002 *
3.12
0.00
0.000
2001 *
3.20
3.20
0.000
2000 *
3.24
3.24
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)
2008
12
21,664
2007
15
254,213
2006
8
3,462
2005
17
178,683
2004
3
27,890
2003
3
22,211
2002
26
195,811
2001
24
241,721
2000
23
277,248
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Hickory Grove sits in Winston County, Alabama, where the Census mining category is 0.6% 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.
Winston County, Alabama · Population 23,637
0.6%
Mining share of county employment
$48,032
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
2008 Q1
4,065
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
12,163
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
10,900
5
0
458.7
2007 Q2
11,054
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
13,336
6
1
449.9
2006 Q4
2,805
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
0
0
0
2005 Q4
13,783
0
0
0.0
Show 23 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2005 Q3
11,359
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
10,155
5
3
492.4
2005 Q1
10,672
6
1
562.2
2004 Q4
11,045
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
0
0
0
2004 Q2
0
0
0
2004 Q1
0
0
0
2003 Q4
0
0
0
2003 Q3
0
0
0
2003 Q2
0
0
0
2003 Q1
2,336
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
13,627
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
14,265
3
2
210.3
2002 Q2
16,730
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
19,420
1
0
51.5
2001 Q4
17,045
5
3
293.3
2001 Q3
13,342
1
0
75.0
2001 Q2
16,327
6
2
367.5
2001 Q1
15,778
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
15,856
2
0
126.1
2000 Q3
14,657
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
16,576
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
14,733
2
0
135.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
15 on file
2005 · 2 incidents
October 29, 2005AL · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was running dozer, while ripping hard rock. The retainer holding the pin in the ripper tooth broke. He was unaware the tooth was hot; he attempted to drive the pin back into the ripper tooth and when his hand came in contact with the tooth, he burned his left hand.
January 31, 2005AL · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
EE WAS ADJUSTING CONVEYOR BELT ON COAL CRUSHER USING A PAIR OF COMEALONGS TO PULL BELT TOGETHER. WHEN HE STARTED TO RELEASE THE COMEALONGS HIS HAND SLIPPED OFF THE HANDLE. THE HANDLE HIT EE AB OVE RT EYE REQUIRING 7 STITCHES.
2001 · 1 incident
December 14, 2001AL · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE WAS CHANGING PINS & BEARINGS ON STABLIZER ARM ON D10N BULLDOZER. WHEN HE HIT THE PIN WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER A PIECE OF PIN BROKE AND HIT HIM IN THE EYELID.
HE WAS WORKING ON DRAGLINE BOOM, DRIVING A PIN INTO THE BOOM. HE HIT HIS HAND ON THE BOOM AS HE WAS SWINGING THE HAMMER & BROKE HIS INDEX FINGER ON HIS LEFT HAND.