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: 516 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Howton Mine has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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.
$9K
proposed penalties
$9K
current assessed
$9K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
53 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-03-03.
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.
3citations taken to the federal commission · 5% of citations on record
Stood as issued
3 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
0%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$1K proposed, $1K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2008-04-03.
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 Howton Mine shows 100% of 92 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: 2009-06-30, 17 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
92
samples
0.91
dust max (mg/m3)
75 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 17 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.
Howton Mine recorded 3.94 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.
3.94
total case rate
3.94
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 4.41 and the all-US-mining average was 3.61 cases per 100 workers.
In Alabama, coal mining averaged 5.51 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2008
3.94
3.94
0.000
2007 *
7.69
2.56
0.000
2006 *
10.67
8.54
0.000
2005 *
6.25
4.17
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
37
122,856
2008
38
271,919
2007
32
223,762
2006
37
300,813
2005
36
222,670
2004
22
52,244
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Howton Mine sits in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, where the Census mining category is 0.9% 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.
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama · Population 234,036
0.9%
Mining share of county employment
$63,947
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
8,022
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
20,230
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
21,437
1
0
46.6
2008 Q4
24,638
3
1
121.8
2008 Q3
26,901
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
21,048
5
0
237.6
2008 Q1
28,982
3
2
103.5
2007 Q4
18,772
0
0
0.0
Show 14 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q3
20,437
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
18,889
1
1
52.9
2007 Q1
19,923
2
0
100.4
2006 Q4
17,687
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
24,213
8
5
330.4
2006 Q2
25,018
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
26,780
9
0
336.1
2005 Q4
23,215
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
27,256
6
4
220.1
2005 Q2
29,905
0
0
0.0
2005 Q1
15,635
10
3
639.6
2004 Q4
19,900
1
0
50.3
2004 Q3
9,235
6
2
649.7
2004 Q2
2,305
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
16 on file
2009 · 2 incidents
April 23, 2009AL · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee called foreman stating he had been jarred real good while being loaded and wanted to get down & walk around for a minute or two. 15 to 20 minutes later he called foreman stating his neck & back were hurting worse and wanted to go to the doctor.
2007 · 3 incidents
October 2, 2007AL · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee got out of truck and started walking to back of truck. He tripped over a small pile of dirt and fell, landing on a hard object hurting his left knee.