MSHA sampling at Hillside Breaker shows 100% of 11 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard, plus the mine's fatality, citation, and penalty record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Hillside Breaker.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
1987–1993
Latest incident
Apr 1993
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
22
inspections on record
236
inspection hours
n/a
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: 236 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
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 Hillside Breaker shows 100% of 11 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: 2003-05-29, 23 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
11
samples
0.56
dust max (mg/m3)
11 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
CLEANING PLANT OPERATOR3
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3
UTILITY MAN3
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2003
2
2002
2
2001
2
2000
2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Hillside Breaker sits in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.2% 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.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania · Population 325,978
0.2%
Mining share of county employment
$62,321
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
2003 Q3
1,215
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
1,247
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
1,265
0
0
0.0
2002 Q4
1,233
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
1,149
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
1,237
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
1,213
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
1,211
0
0
0.0
Show 6 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2001 Q3
1,201
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
1,222
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
1,209
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
1,189
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
1,228
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
1,356
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
1993 · 1 incident
April 9, 1993PA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE