Hourglass: 107 MSHA citations
Coal
Sassafras,
Knott County,
KY
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518224
Hourglass has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 11
- Years on record
- 2000–2001
- Latest incident
- May 2001
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
44
significant & substantial
$8,973
proposed penalties
64% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,269 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
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: 806 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Hourglass has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K 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.
103 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2001-04-17.
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.
42.7%
significant & substantial
1.9%
high negligence or reckless
72.8%
reasonably likely or greater
14.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 1.0% none, 3.9% low, 93.2% moderate, 1.9% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Hourglass shows 85% of 118 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: 2001-05-14, 25 years ago
81 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 37 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR37
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)11
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)10
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2001-04-19, 25 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR7
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.
Last sampled: 2000-04-19, 26 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR1
- HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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.
| Year |
within 1.5 mg/m3 |
samples |
| 2001 |
80% |
44 |
| 2000 |
88% |
74 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year |
silica avg (%) |
samples |
| 2001 |
6.1 |
5 |
| 2000 |
11.4 |
10 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Hourglass recorded 25.26 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2000.
Injury rate, 2000
ⓘ
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.
Above average. The US coal mining average was 7.74 and the all-US-mining average was 5.64 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 8.83 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.
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.
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) |
| 2001 |
18 |
71,781 |
| 2000 |
29 |
138,084 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Hourglass sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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 |
| 2001 Q3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2001 Q2 |
10,927 |
8 |
2 |
732.1 |
| 2001 Q1 |
16,397 |
24 |
8 |
1463.7 |
| 2000 Q4 |
16,342 |
24 |
7 |
1468.6 |
| 2000 Q3 |
12,944 |
25 |
14 |
1931.4 |
| 2000 Q2 |
4,243 |
9 |
5 |
2121.1 |
| 2000 Q1 |
6,061 |
14 |
8 |
2309.8 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2001 · 3 incidents
May 18, 2001
KY · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Banner Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects
EE WAS STACKING BELT STRUCTURE FOR TRANSPORT AND LOAD MINER CABLE AND CAR CABLE.
April 27, 2001
KY · Coal
laborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Banner Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects
EMPLOYEE WAS PULLING MINING CABLE AND HURT HIS BACK AND RIGHT LEG.
February 19, 2001
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
MACHINERY
Banner Inc · Struck by falling object
IN PERFORMANCE OF HIS JOB AS A ROOF BOLTER OPERATOR THE EMPLOYEE WAS STRUCK BY A FALL OF ROCK. THE ROCK STRUCK THE EE ON THE HEAD & SHOULDERS.
2000 · 8 incidents
December 5, 2000
KY · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Banner Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING BELT LINE & STRAINED LOWER ABDOMEN.
August 21, 2000
KY · Coal
continuous miner helper, coal mole helper, bridgeman
MACHINERY
Banner Inc · Struck against a moving object
THE FORMER EMPLOYEE AFTER HE HAD SEVERED HIS EMPLOYMENT ALLEGES A BACK INJURY. WHEN INVESTIGATEDTHIS HAD NOT BEEN REPORTED TO THE FOREMAN.
August 10, 2000
KY · Coal
section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Banner Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EMPLOYEE WAS PUTTING UP STEEL & WOODEN COLLERS &FELT PAIN IN BACK.
August 8, 2000
KY · Coal
scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Banner Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects
EE WAS PUTTING UP WOODEN COLLERS HURT LOWER BACK.
Banner Inc · Accident type, without injuries
#5 ENTRY 2 BREAK FROM FACE AREA FELL; ABOUT 5' HIGH.
R & B Enterprises Inc · Accident type, without injuries
DURING THE PRESHIFT EXAM TWO (2) NON-INJURY ROOF FALLS WERE OBSERVED: #1 THE #4 ENTRY 20' INBY THE LAST OPEN CROSS CUT APPROX 45' LONG X 6' HIGH X 20' WIDE.
R & B Enterprises Inc · Accident type, without injuries
DURING THE PRESHIFT EXAM TWO (2) NON-INJURY ROOF FALLS WERE OBSERVED. #2 THE #6 ENTRY CROSS CUT TO #5 18' WIDE X 18' LONG X 60" HIGH.
R & B Enterprises Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EE WAS MAKING A SPLICE AND CUT LEFT HAND WITH A KNIFE.