Jims Branch No 3B has $119K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
21
Years on record
2008–2011
Latest incident
Mar 2011
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
239
citations
52
significant & substantial
$118,876
proposed penalties
$85,471
paid to date
72% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $33,405 gap.
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.
239 citations across 1,532 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Jims Branch No 3B has $119K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 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.
$119K
proposed penalties
$85K
current assessed
$85K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
235 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $62K in penalties contested before the Commission, $29K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2011-06-13.
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.
28citations taken to the federal commission · 12% of citations on record
Settled
28 · 100%
61%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 23 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
54%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$62K proposed, $29K 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 2011-12-19.
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 Jims Branch No 3B shows 96% of 213 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: 2011-06-02, 15 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
213
samples
7.97
dust max (mg/m3)
79 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 134 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.
Jims Branch No 3B recorded 18.65 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2010.
Injury rate, 2010
ⓘ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.
18.65
total case rate
15.98
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.50 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
2010 *
18.65
15.98
0.000
2009 *
16.83
16.83
0.000
2008 *
3.43
3.43
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)
2011
25
56,845
2010
30
142,114
2009
30
131,372
2008
31
114,576
2007
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Jims Branch No 3B sits in Wyoming County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Wyoming County, West Virginia · Population 20,948
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$48,038
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
2011 Q2
14,690
3
0
204.2
2011 Q1
16,589
36
7
2170.1
2010 Q4
18,085
16
4
884.7
2010 Q3
18,676
28
7
1499.3
2010 Q2
18,556
17
4
916.1
2010 Q1
19,756
7
0
354.3
2009 Q4
20,419
10
2
489.7
2009 Q3
19,327
25
8
1293.5
Show 7 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2009 Q2
13,018
14
2
1075.4
2009 Q1
6,659
26
3
3904.5
2008 Q4
19,546
13
4
665.1
2008 Q3
18,339
31
10
1690.4
2008 Q2
18,731
7
1
373.7
2008 Q1
1,726
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
0
0
0
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
January 27, 2011WV · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Baylor Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects
The victim received fatal injuries and was found in the #4 belt head chute. There were no eyewitnesses. The circumstances surrounding and the cause of the accident are under investigation.
Reportable incidents
20 on file (excluding fatalities above)
2011 · 4 incidents
March 14, 2011WV · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee stated that he was helping to make a belt splice when he was struck by the hammer used to drive the belt nails. Co-worker was wielding the hammer and accidentally hit EE's right middle finger.
During a weekly examination by ee of the right return it was discovered that a roof fall had occurred on Panel 6 at spad #1525. Stopping were installed and removed to allow the return to be safely traveled in its entirety. All accessible entries leading into the fall area have been supported and dangered off.
Employee had been shoveling belt, hit his head on uneven mine roof, hurting the back of his neck. Stated his neck was already hurting due to a previous non-work related injury.
Roof fall found during weekly exam. Found in an autby area of the right return approximately 1000 ft from the working section. 1 break inby spad #1048. The fall does not affect travel or ventilation. The area has been hangered off and supported.
Working on power center - feet slipped causing him to hit his ribs against the power center - did not think he had initial injury - went to hospital on 3/21/10.
March 3, 2010WV · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE was shoveling on #2 belt. Claimed shovel hit on a splice causing the shovel to jerk back - aggravating an old injury where a plate had been installed in his shoulder approximately one year ago.