Mining Incidents

Job 55: 23 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by J Mark Campbell
Myra, Letcher County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519411

Job 55 has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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
2011–2012
Latest incident
Jun 2012
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2009
23
citations
3
significant & substantial
$2,653
proposed penalties
$2,653
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2009
11
inspections on record
330
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: 330 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Job 55 has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$3K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
22 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-02-23.
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.
13.6%
significant & substantial
4.5%
high negligence or reckless
13.6%
reasonably likely or greater
0.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 4.5% none, 45.5% low, 45.5% moderate, 4.5% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Job 55 shows 100% of 18 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: 2012-02-23, 14 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
18
samples
0.50
dust max (mg/m3)
18 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR8
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER3
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE3

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2009-10-02, 16 years ago
8.0
silica avg (%)
1
samples
8.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1

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: 2012-02-23, 14 years ago
20%
over PEL
15
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR7
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR3
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER2
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
2012 100% 3
2011 100% 6
2010 100% 4
2009 100% 5
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2012 0% 3
2011 20% 5
2010 33% 3
2009 25% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Job 55 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2011.

Injury rate, 2011
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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.83 and the all-US-mining average was 3.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.28 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.
Ownership history
  1. American Contracting Group LLC 2009 to 2010
  2. Premier Elkhorn Coal Company 2010 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)
2012 7 1,544
2011 7 90,703
2010 5 31,179
2009 5
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Job 55 sits in Letcher County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.5% 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.
Letcher County, Kentucky · Population 21,146
3.5%
Mining share of county employment
$40,501
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
2012 Q2 3,097 0 0 0.0
2012 Q1 2,350 3 0 1276.6
2011 Q4 4,285 1 0 233.4
2011 Q3 5,275 3 0 568.7
2011 Q2 5,241 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 5,233 3 1 573.3
2010 Q4 3,734 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 2,488 2 0 803.9
Show 3 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2010 Q1 0 1 0
2009 Q4 0 0 0
2009 Q3 3,138 8 2 2549.4
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

3 on file

2012 · 1 incident

June 19, 2012 KY · Coal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Premier Elkhorn Coal Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee turned over his Right ankle after dismounting drill while walking across the drill bench. This action caused him to fall, and in turn, fracture his Left ankle.

2011 · 2 incidents

September 12, 2011 KY · Coal FIRE
Premier Elkhorn Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

At approx. 3:50 p.pm smoke was detected coming from a drill (Unit #5025) after mechanics completed repairs on it and left it unattended on the drill bench around 3:30 p.m. Dorton Volunteer Fire Dept. responded and the fire was extinguished by 4:30 p.m.

January 18, 2011 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Premier Elkhorn Coal Company · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

Employee did not report the incident until 2/2/2011.The employee went to the doctor complaining of respiratory problems.The doctor asked if he had been exposed to any chemicals and the employee said "another employee was cutting a bearing out of a pin bore when the grease caught fire.When a fire extinguisher was used to put out the fire, he breathed some of the chemical".