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: 766 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Johnson Mine has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$10K
proposed penalties
$8K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
36 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $5K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-09-12.
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.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
57%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5K proposed, $2K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2011-12-08.
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 Johnson Mine shows 100% of 149 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: 2016-09-14, 9 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
149
samples
0.97
dust max (mg/m3)
0
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
103 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 46 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.
Johnson Mine recorded 4.54 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2015.
Injury rate, 2015
ⓘ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.
4.54
total case rate
4.54
days-away rate
4.541
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Alabama, coal mining averaged 2.96 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
2015 *
4.54
4.54
4.541
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
6.71
6.71
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)
2017
0
2016
8
5,870
2015
18
117,761
2014
6
29,982
2013
2
580
2012
14
58,022
2011
17
91,237
2010
22
94,209
2009
24
97,067
2008
12
55,398
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Johnson Mine sits in Jefferson County, Alabama, where the Census mining category is 0.3% 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.
Jefferson County, Alabama · Population 669,744
0.3%
Mining share of county employment
$64,589
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
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q2
160
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
20,562
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
13,770
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
10,819
1
0
92.4
2015 Q2
10,300
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
9,150
0
0
0.0
Show 28 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2014 Q4
5,800
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
3,110
1
1
321.5
2014 Q2
800
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
760
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
500
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
800
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
80
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
520
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
6,092
1
0
164.1
2012 Q3
10,420
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
10,640
8
3
751.9
2012 Q1
8,588
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
10,400
4
2
384.6
2011 Q3
12,321
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
12,400
3
3
241.9
2011 Q1
8,031
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
11,500
2
0
173.9
2010 Q3
13,163
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
13,072
3
1
229.5
2010 Q1
12,534
3
0
239.3
2009 Q4
9,344
1
1
107.0
2009 Q3
15,233
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
11,754
2
1
170.2
2009 Q1
16,418
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
11,992
2
0
166.8
2008 Q3
6,157
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
11,144
1
0
89.7
2008 Q1
520
2
0
3846.2
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
September 26, 2015AL · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerFatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Employee was checking transmission fluid on dozer, and was found unconscious on ground, possibly related to medical emergency. *The miner never regained consciousness and succumbed to his injuries on October 5, 2015.
Reportable incidents
1 on file (excluding fatalities above)
2008 · 1 incident
August 12, 2008AL · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee got off service truck, walked behind moving truck while looking the other direction. Truck hit him mid-back per employee, resulted in muscle strain to back.