Mining Incidents

Kocher Breaker Coal

Controlled by Ronald Lickman
Valley View, Schuylkill County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3601891

Kocher Breaker has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $726 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Kocher Breaker.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
24
Years on record
1983–1998
Latest incident
May 1998
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
13
citations
5
significant & substantial
$1,499
proposed penalties
$486
paid to date
32% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,013 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
22
inspections on record
318
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: 318 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Kocher Breaker has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $726 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.
$1K
proposed penalties
$1K
current assessed
$486
paid to date
$726
outstanding
13 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2004-01-27.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Kocher Breaker shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.56 mg/m3 (100% compliant) across 18 samples.

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.
0.56
dust avg (mg/m3)
1.28
dust max (mg/m3)
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
18
samples
Most recent sample: 2001-02-20.
Silica (quartz)
5.4
silica avg (%)
8.2
silica max (%)
3
samples
Most recent sample: 2001-02-27.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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
2004 Q2 0 0 0
2004 Q1 0 6 4
2003 Q4 0 0 0
2003 Q3 0 0 0
2003 Q2 0 0 0
2003 Q1 0 5 1
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 0 0 0
Show 10 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2002 Q2 0 1 0
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 2,822 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 4,475 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 5,823 1 0 171.7
2000 Q4 4,405 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 4,098 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 9,586 0 0 0.0
2000 Q1 12,920 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

24 on file

1998 · 1 incident

May 27, 1998 PA · Coal assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Harriman Coal Corporation · Fall from machine

VICTIM WAS CLIMBING ON TIPPLE START SPIRAL LOST HIS FOOTING AND FELL APPROX. 12 FEET.

1995 · 1 incident

January 9, 1995 PA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Harriman Coal Corporation · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE HIT HEAD ON A PIECE OF ANGLE IRON ;WHILE TRYING OT UNBLOCK ROCK CHUTE.

1994 · 1 incident

November 2, 1994 PA · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Harriman Coal Corporation · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EMPLOYEE FELT PAIN IN BACK WHILE SHOVELING COAL (RECURRANCE OF OLD INJURY OF 8-8-90)COPY OF OLD REPORT ATTACHED.

1992 · 2 incidents

July 27, 1992 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver OTHER
Kocher Coal Company · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

71504NDER SHAKER WAS LEAKING CAUSING EMPLOYEE TO BECOME SOAKED WITH WATER SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY-THIS CAUSED EMPLOYEE TO BECOME ILL.

March 17, 1992 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE JARRED BACK WHILE STEPPED DOWN FROM TRUCK AFTER TARPING.

1991 · 1 incident

September 23, 1991 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Kocher Coal Company · Struck against a moving object

TRUCK EMPL WAS DRIVING HIT DEEP DITCH & JARRED

1990 · 6 incidents

October 30, 1990 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE'S FOOT SLIPPED WHILE PULLING ON ROPE TO START PORTABLE PUMP. FELT PAIN IN GROIN AREA.

August 8, 1990 PA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

FELT PAIN IN BACK WHILE PULLING BIG ROCK OUT OF COAL

April 27, 1990 PA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

FELT PAIN LIFTING PC OF IRON

February 7, 1990 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EMPLOYEE FELT DISCOMFORT IN GROIN AREA WHILE LIFTING ON WRENCH

January 22, 1990 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EMPLOYEE INJURED BACK WHILE LIFTING DOORS AT BREAKER LOADING AREA.

January 2, 1990 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EE SLIPPED ON ICE AND FELL WHILE WALKING IN BREAKER YARD.

1989 · 3 incidents

November 17, 1989 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Fall from machine

EMPL TWISTED ANKLE WHEN GETTING OUT OF HIS TRUCK

April 27, 1989 PA · Coal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

LIFTING RR STEEL OUT OF SUMP HOLE WITH ANOTHER EMPL,THIS EMPL THREW DOWN HIS END WHILE I.NAME HELD ON WRENCHING HIS BACK.DIDNT MISS TIME UNTIL HOSPITALIZED FOR DISC SURGERY 7-26-89.

January 6, 1989 PA · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPL TWISTED KNEE WHILE WALKING & CARRYING BUCKETS OF WATER.

1988 · 1 incident

March 4, 1988 PA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

EMPLOYEE TWISTED HIS BODY WHILE PICKING UP A ROCK.

1986 · 5 incidents

December 26, 1986 PA · Coal FIRE
Kocher Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

THE FIRE MOST L3KELY STARTED BY SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION WITHIN THE DEPOSITED REFUSE. EXACT DATES AND TIMES ARE NOT DETERMINABLE. COAL REFUSE IN INHERENTLY SUBJECT TO SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.

December 19, 1986 PA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE FELT P5IN IN BACK WHILE BARRING ROCK OUT OF COAL HOPPER.

April 10, 1986 PA · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE STEPPI3G INTO HOLE WHILE MOVING PIPES

March 23, 1986 PA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Fall from machine

EE OVERTREAD AN5LE WHILE GETTING DOWN FROM TRACTOR.

1985 · 1 incident

May 7, 1985 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Kocher Coal Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE STANDING ON RAMP ASSISTING TRUCKS DUMPING COAL INTO R/R CARS EE MISSTEPPED & FELL 10\-12\ TO GROUND.

1984 · 1 incident

October 31, 1984 PA · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Kocher Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

FELT TEARING IN LEFT GROIN AREA WHILE SHOVELING BALLASTS AT RAILROAD SIDING

1983 · 1 incident

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

The full compliance file on Kocher Breaker

A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.