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: 994 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Leach Mountain has $9K in proposed MSHA penalties and $181 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.
$9K
proposed penalties
$8K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$181
outstanding
99 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $1K in penalties contested before the Commission, $1K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-03-13.
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.
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 Leach Mountain shows 99% of 121 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: 2006-08-21, 20 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
121
samples
2.22
dust max (mg/m3)
85 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 36 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.
Leach Mountain recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.
Injury rate, 2006
ⓘ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
Below average. The US coal mining average was 4.87 and the all-US-mining average was 3.91 cases per 100 workers.
In Tennessee, coal mining averaged 6.30 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
2006 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2005
1.54
1.54
0.000
2004 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2003 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2002 *
7.03
7.03
0.000
2001 *
9.40
9.40
0.000
2000 *
10.65
7.99
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)
2007
0
2006
21
130,206
2005
36
260,230
2004
37
281,099
2003
17
126,480
2002
12
87,844
2001
25
154,426
2000
30
251,990
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Leach Mountain sits in Claiborne County, Tennessee, where the Census mining category is 1.0% 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.
Claiborne County, Tennessee · Population 32,221
1.0%
Mining share of county employment
$46,587
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
2007 Q1
0
0
0
2006 Q4
213
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
4,693
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
23,338
0
0
0.0
2006 Q1
23,283
2
0
85.9
2005 Q4
47,137
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
19,822
7
1
353.1
2005 Q2
39,902
6
0
150.4
Show 21 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2005 Q1
23,109
10
3
432.7
2004 Q4
39,269
0
0
0.0
2004 Q3
27,033
5
4
185.0
2004 Q2
20,215
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
12,240
1
0
81.7
2003 Q4
11,279
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
10,777
2
0
185.6
2003 Q2
8,160
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
10,396
3
1
288.6
2002 Q4
7,072
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
6,738
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
7,867
5
0
635.6
2002 Q1
6,777
3
0
442.7
2001 Q4
11,676
2
1
171.3
2001 Q3
10,049
3
0
298.5
2001 Q2
28,277
6
5
212.2
2001 Q1
13,851
7
2
505.4
2000 Q4
19,557
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
23,258
14
0
601.9
2000 Q2
19,432
8
0
411.7
2000 Q1
12,850
6
1
466.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
13 on file
2007 · 1 incident
March 7, 2007TN · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was walking up the slope and dropped his water bottle. As he bent over to pick the water bottle up, a stick from the trees he was carrying went up his nose, puncturing the skin inside his nose causing it to bleed.
2005 · 1 incident
January 17, 2005TN · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerPOWERED HAULAGE
AFTER SHOT WAS PUT OFF DRILL MAN MANUALLY LIFTED AND MOVED ROCK APPROX. 15 FT. AFTERWORD LOWER BACK AND GROIN BEGAN HURTING. CONTINUED TO GET WORSE BUT EE WORKED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. UNABLE TO WORK MONDAY 1-29-01.
January 2, 2001TN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
WHILE REMOVING ENGINE FROM 992C #M96 EMPLOYEE'S WRENCH SLIPPED CAUSING HIM TO FALL TO GROUND, NO APPARENT INJURY, FEW DAYS LATER EMPLOYEE NOTICED NUMBNESS IN BOTH HANDS, BEGAN GETTING WORSE MISSED WORK 2-14 TO 2-19 RETURNED 2-20. DR TO SEND TO SPECIALIST.
2000 · 4 incidents
November 20, 2000TN · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerMACHINERY
EE CLAIMS SMOKE BEING BLOWN BACK IN FACE WHILE WELDING BUCKET ON 992C WAS INHALED & MADE HIM SICK. EE NOTIFIED CO. 4-24 THAT HE WENT TO DR. 4-22& SAID DR. WOULD NOT KNOW CAUSE UNTIL 4-28. UPON RETURN WAS TOLD TEST NOT BACK YET & WAS UNSURE OF CAUSE BUT RELEASED EE TO RETURN 5-1. CLAIMS ADJUSTED PHONE 5- & SAID HE & DR. HAD DECIDED SMOKE INHALATION. EE STILL OUT FOR UNRELATED REASON
1998 · 3 incidents
December 21, 1998TN · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS