Mining Incidents

HWM Job #24: 7 MSHA citations Coal

Dingess, Mingo County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4608810

HWM Job #24 has $738 in proposed MSHA penalties and $55 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
3
Years on record
2000–2002
Latest incident
May 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
7
citations
3
significant & substantial
$738
proposed penalties
$683
paid to date
93% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $55 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
27
inspections on record
580
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: 580 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

HWM Job #24 has $738 in proposed MSHA penalties and $55 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.
$738
proposed penalties
$738
current assessed
$683
paid to date
$55
outstanding
7 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-02-19.
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.
42.9%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
42.9%
reasonably likely or greater
42.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 28.6% low, 71.4% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at HWM Job #24 shows 100% of 37 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: 2002-07-22, 24 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
37
samples
1.44
dust max (mg/m3)
29 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER15
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER11
  • AUGER OPERATOR6

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-02-14, 24 years ago
5.4
silica avg (%)
1
samples
5.4
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER1

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: 2001-07-11, 25 years ago
27%
over PEL
11
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER5
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER4
  • AUGER OPERATOR2
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
2002 100% 13
2001 100% 14
2000 100% 10
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2001 20% 5
2000 33% 6
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

HWM Job #24 recorded 3.98 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2002.

Injury rate, 2002
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.
3.98
total case rate
3.98
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 6.89 and the all-US-mining average was 5.05 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 9.17 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
2002 * 3.98 3.98 0.000
2001 * 3.33 0.00 0.000
2000 * 3.57 3.57 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.
Ownership history
  1. Mining Technologies Inc 1999 to present
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)
2003 13 29,568
2002 23 401,560
2001 20 850,699
2000 22 1,761,448
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

HWM Job #24 sits in Mingo County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 15.0% 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.
Mingo County, West Virginia · Population 22,979
15.0%
Mining share of county employment
$39,527
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 Q1 2,974 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 5,674 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 10,886 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 18,611 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 15,133 1 0 66.1
2001 Q4 14,142 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 15,435 2 0 129.6
2001 Q2 14,637 2 1 136.6
Show 5 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2001 Q1 15,833 1 1 63.2
2000 Q4 15,314 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 11,902 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 17,796 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 10,982 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2002 · 1 incident

May 20, 2002 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mining Technologies Inc · Struck by flying object

EMPLOYEE WAS HELPING REMOVE AN ELECTRICAL PLUG, WHEN HE GOT DIRT IN HIS EYES FROM OFF A PAIR OF GLOVES.

2001 · 1 incident

2000 · 1 incident

October 3, 2000 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mining Technologies Inc · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EE SLIPPED AND SPRAINED HIS LEFT ANKLE WHILE ASSISTING IN CHANGING CARS ON HIGHWALL MINER SYSTEM.