EMPLOYEE WAS HOLDING PIN KNOCKER WHILE ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WAS USING SLEDGE HAMMER AND THE SLEDGE HAMMER STRUCK THE PIN KNOCKER AND IT GLANCED OFF STRIKING EMPLOYEE ON WRIST
Laurel Branch Surface Coal
Laurel Branch Surface has $432K in proposed MSHA penalties and $74K outstanding across 12 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 36
- Years on record
- 2008–2026
- Latest incident
- Jan 2026
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This rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.Laurel Branch Surface has $432K in proposed MSHA penalties and $74K outstanding across 12 contested dockets.
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Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.MSHA sampling at Laurel Branch Surface shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.15 mg/m3 (100% compliant) across 576 samples.
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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 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.ⓘ
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.| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q4 | 49,222 | 3 | 0 | 60.9 |
| 2025 Q3 | 51,549 | 15 | 7 | 291.0 |
| 2025 Q2 | 69,792 | 17 | 2 | 243.6 |
| 2025 Q1 | 70,080 | 34 | 8 | 485.2 |
| 2024 Q4 | 66,794 | 1 | 0 | 15.0 |
| 2024 Q3 | 77,967 | 28 | 8 | 359.1 |
| 2024 Q2 | 69,764 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 Q1 | 72,433 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Show 67 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Q4 | 68,470 | 13 | 3 | 189.9 |
| 2023 Q3 | 87,602 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 Q2 | 83,880 | 27 | 10 | 321.9 |
| 2023 Q1 | 69,868 | 15 | 6 | 214.7 |
| 2022 Q4 | 74,986 | 2 | 2 | 26.7 |
| 2022 Q3 | 63,016 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 Q2 | 77,644 | 22 | 13 | 283.3 |
| 2022 Q1 | 66,190 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q4 | 70,255 | 16 | 4 | 227.7 |
| 2021 Q3 | 55,583 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 Q2 | 62,521 | 20 | 3 | 319.9 |
| 2021 Q1 | 52,384 | 5 | 1 | 95.4 |
| 2020 Q4 | 49,743 | 5 | 0 | 100.5 |
| 2020 Q3 | 30,458 | 6 | 1 | 197.0 |
| 2020 Q2 | 51,257 | 16 | 6 | 312.2 |
| 2020 Q1 | 44,240 | 19 | 4 | 429.5 |
| 2019 Q4 | 35,442 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 Q3 | 28,592 | 32 | 11 | 1119.2 |
| 2019 Q2 | 26,783 | 1 | 1 | 37.3 |
| 2019 Q1 | 26,911 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q4 | 32,062 | 16 | 6 | 499.0 |
| 2018 Q3 | 29,875 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 Q2 | 34,095 | 20 | 9 | 586.6 |
| 2018 Q1 | 31,589 | 20 | 1 | 633.1 |
| 2017 Q4 | 31,261 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q3 | 29,421 | 16 | 8 | 543.8 |
| 2017 Q2 | 25,470 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2017 Q1 | 29,658 | 5 | 0 | 168.6 |
| 2016 Q4 | 33,269 | 3 | 0 | 90.2 |
| 2016 Q3 | 33,927 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2016 Q2 | 26,254 | 14 | 4 | 533.3 |
| 2016 Q1 | 32,443 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2015 Q4 | 31,116 | 20 | 6 | 642.8 |
| 2015 Q3 | 36,850 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2015 Q2 | 38,597 | 11 | 2 | 285.0 |
| 2015 Q1 | 34,354 | 18 | 5 | 524.0 |
| 2014 Q4 | 36,956 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2014 Q3 | 49,239 | 26 | 12 | 528.0 |
| 2014 Q2 | 48,545 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2014 Q1 | 49,487 | 16 | 10 | 323.3 |
| 2013 Q4 | 43,642 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2013 Q3 | 47,739 | 9 | 5 | 188.5 |
| 2013 Q2 | 49,061 | 9 | 3 | 183.4 |
| 2013 Q1 | 39,688 | 16 | 11 | 403.1 |
| 2012 Q4 | 40,526 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 Q3 | 43,470 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 Q2 | 45,795 | 15 | 7 | 327.5 |
| 2012 Q1 | 49,290 | 36 | 22 | 730.4 |
| 2011 Q4 | 48,613 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2011 Q3 | 41,954 | 10 | 4 | 238.4 |
| 2011 Q2 | 45,923 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2011 Q1 | 44,630 | 14 | 4 | 313.7 |
| 2010 Q4 | 44,023 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2010 Q3 | 45,517 | 20 | 7 | 439.4 |
| 2010 Q2 | 43,758 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2010 Q1 | 44,909 | 29 | 14 | 645.8 |
| 2009 Q4 | 28,789 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 Q3 | 28,386 | 18 | 8 | 634.1 |
| 2009 Q2 | 28,002 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 Q1 | 30,105 | 32 | 10 | 1062.9 |
| 2008 Q4 | 28,533 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q3 | 29,377 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008 Q2 | 34,388 | 6 | 1 | 174.5 |
| 2008 Q1 | 25,009 | 4 | 3 | 159.9 |
| 2007 Q4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007 Q3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2007 Q2 | 2,882 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Reportable incidents
36 on file2026 · 1 incident
2025 · 2 incidents
EMPLOYEE WENT TO GET IN ROCKTRUCK PLACED A FOOT ON BOTTOM STEP AND BOTH HANDS ON HANDRAIL TO PULL THEMSELVES UP LADDER, FELT PAIN IN LOWER BACK, PUT FEET BACK ON GROUND AND FELL BACK ON THEIR BACKSIDE BECAUSE OF PAIN THEY FELT IN LOWER BACK
EMPLOYEE WAS HELPING LOAD A DOZER ROLLER FRAME ONTO ROLLBACK AND WAS STANDING AT WINCH SPOOL ON BED OF TRUCK WHEN CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED THE WINCH CABLE TO RECOIL BACK STRIKING EMPLOYEE IN THE LEFT HAND
2024 · 2 incidents
Operator of coal truck was descending off 28 hill. Appears driver lost control and exited the truck, struck head on the ground and truck overturned below where driver exited the truck
EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING FROM WATER TRUCK TO WATER TANK TO TURN WATER VALVE ON, SAW THAT THE ROPE TO TURN VALVE ON WAS BROKEN, EMPLOYEE WENT TO FIX IT AND STEPPED BETWEEN ROCKS AND TWISTED ANKLE. RESULTING IN FRACTURE TO FIBULA.
2023 · 2 incidents
EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING LOADER WHEN THE BUCKET TOOTH CAUGHT A ROCK AND WHILE LIFTING BUCKET, THE BACK WHEEL CAME OFF GROUND AND THE TOOTH SLIPPED OFF ROCK ALLOWING LOADER TO HIT GROUND, COLLASPING OPERATOR SEAT AND RESULTED IN HURTING EMPLOYEE'S BACK.
EMPLOYEE WAS HELPING INSTALL ENGINE ON DOZER, SAID THEY LOST FOOTING AND FELL APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET ON THEIR BACK ONTO TRACK / PUSH ARM OF DOZER AND FELL TO GROUND.
2022 · 2 incidents
Operator was descending incline while loaded, attempted to change gears, truck wouldn't go in gear, operator made decision to exit the cab causing injury when operator jumped
Employee was Dozer Operator, started shift at 6:00am. Employee was found around 8:00am unresponsive from apparent cardiac arrest.
2021 · 1 incident
Climbing into cab of D11R had right hand on a hold of the cab door and footing slipped. Employee hung on to keep from falling, heard a pop and had pain in right elbow. It continued to hurt and felt weak when trying to extended arm out.
2020 · 7 incidents
Employee was getting in Foreman's pickup. While putting lunch bucket in back of truck, employee said felt something pop in left shoulder.
Employee was helping another employee unload a nitrogen cylinder from mechanics truck (89220). Employee was going to get end of cylinder, while it was being lowered from truck, when EE did it fell from bed pinning EE's left thumb between cylinder and bumper of mechanics truck, resulting in broken left thumb
Employee was on the front fender of 992G loader working on it. When EE finished EE turned from the fender to the deck of the loader and struck head on the mirror bracket resulting in laceration to head.
Company #223, 993K Loader S/N Z9K00471 caught fire and could not be extinguished within 30 minutes. No injuries involved.
Employee was hauling water down Haul road I, as employee came out of turn 3 employee lost the brake and lost control of truck where it traveled approximately 900 feet, employee drove truck up an adjacent road, when the load of water shifted to back causing the truck to overturn.
Employee grabbed a hydraulic hose from hose reel on back of lube truck and wire braiding was protruding from the hose sticking employee in right index finger. Employee started missing work on 04/28/20
Employee stepped out of Lube Truck and twisted EE's ankle
2019 · 1 incident
Descending ladder from rock truck got to bottom step when EE's foot slipped and went in between first and second step straining EE's knee.
2018 · 3 incidents
Employee was operating water truck, while descending downhill ee felt like truck went into neutral ee then applied brakes ran truck upon berm and overturned.
Employee was trying to open driver side door of lube truck when handle broke puncturing left hand
Employee changing sprocket on high wall drill when boom on mechanics truck extended casing EE's left hand to be pinched causing laceration to pinky finger on left hand.
2017 · 3 incidents
Employee and co-worker picked up a bottle of nitrogen to carry to the truck they were working on. When employee felt a burning sensation in left shoulder.
Employee said got out of truck to turn heater values off then climbed up the step to the side of engine as employee stepped back down felt a sharp pain in left hip.
Employee was driving on haul road at Clintwood Elkhorn, Laurel Branch Job, when vehicle hit a dip in the road and employee felt pain in lower back.
2016 · 1 incident
Driver was stepping off cement pad to hook the hose from powder truck to the bin. When EE stepped out of the truck, there was a large rock that EE stepped on and lost balance, which caused EE to sprain right ankle.
2015 · 5 incidents
Hearing loss claim was made on December 2, 2014. We received the award letter notification on 12/23/2015. His hearing for the award was on December 16, 2015. Employee retired on June 15, 2015.
Employee was going down ladder with fire extinguisher lost his hand hold and fell onto ground hitting his hand on bumper of rock truck and cutting his hand requiring stitches.
Hearing Loss Awarded Date 07/30/2015
Slid into the ditch due to weather conitions
Changing bit on drill, employee was aligning the steel to knock off the bit ring, when the steel broke loose from the head falling and striking employee on the right foot and toes.
2014 · 2 incidents
Employee was opening the drain valve to drain tank on water truck. He turned to get away from water and ran into the platform for the fire hose stand.
Employee stepped out of mine office and felt pain in his back. Employee worked the rest of the day. He went to the doctor on 6-12-14. He went back to the doctor on 6-20-14 and was taken off work until further notice making his first day of loss time as of Monday 6-23-14. *Employee returned to work on 7/14/14 and went back off work on 7/21/14 as a recurrence of old injury.
2013 · 1 incident
Employee was cleaning windshield, foot slipped injured shoulder, later required surgery. Starting missing work on 7/18/13.
2009 · 2 incidents
Started to climb down from dozer, slipped on push beam and fell to ground hitting his head and his shoulder.
EE came down steps of Loader to ground and when his left foot touched the ground, he turned and twisted his ankle.
2008 · 1 incident
An old beech tree log was laying on the ground. Employee was cutting brush around log when it started to roll and rolled over on him, trapping him under the log.
The full compliance file on Laurel Branch Surface
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.