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.
1,099 citations across 4,764 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2011-09-07.
On record since 2011.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Mine #2 has $923K in proposed MSHA penalties and $902K outstanding across 4 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.
$923K
proposed penalties
$918K
current assessed
$17K
paid to date
$902K
outstanding
1,072 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $62K in penalties contested before the Commission, $49K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-09-07.
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.
83citations taken to the federal commission · 8% of citations on record
Settled
43 · 52%
Stood as issued
29 · 35%
Vacated or withdrawn
11 · 13%
81%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 42 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
21%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$62K proposed, $49K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2011-07-19.
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 Mine #2 shows 97% of 379 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: 2011-10-28, 14 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
379
samples
3.85
dust max (mg/m3)
188 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 191 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.
Mine #2 recorded 21.36 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2010.
Injury rate, 2010
ⓘ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.
21.36
total case rate
16.02
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 3.20 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.85 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
2010 *
21.36
16.02
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
0.00
0.00
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)
2012
0
2011
11
18,790
2010
20
73,079
2009
20
105,000
2008
18
94,619
2007
10
25,417
2006
11
39,409
2005
12
32,305
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mine #2 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 Q1
0
5
1
2011 Q4
1,440
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
5,945
70
23
11774.6
2011 Q2
4,191
60
26
14316.4
2011 Q1
544
24
4
44117.6
2010 Q4
8,934
110
44
12312.5
2010 Q3
10,179
59
16
5796.2
2010 Q2
9,756
102
33
10455.1
Show 18 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2010 Q1
8,579
28
9
3263.8
2009 Q4
8,912
32
11
3590.7
2009 Q3
8,759
59
11
6735.9
2009 Q2
10,950
48
17
4383.6
2009 Q1
8,000
33
15
4125.0
2008 Q4
8,000
36
17
4500.0
2008 Q3
7,400
21
8
2837.8
2008 Q2
4,614
42
18
9102.7
2008 Q1
5,673
50
14
8813.7
2007 Q4
5,306
15
1
2827.0
2007 Q2
2,890
47
16
16263.0
2007 Q1
4,320
29
19
6713.0
2006 Q4
6,475
60
34
9266.4
2006 Q3
6,008
14
11
2330.2
2006 Q2
4,608
15
7
3255.2
2006 Q1
5,280
26
7
4924.2
2005 Q4
6,387
30
12
4697.0
2005 Q3
7,335
23
10
3135.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
8 on file
2010 · 5 incidents
September 28, 2010KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
EE was dis-connecting the motor leads from a set of resistors inside a belt drive starting box (a tight work area)in doing so he strained the ligaments in his right hand.
August 26, 2010KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Vision Coal, Inc. · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Letting red devil off on belt splice, caught his right thumb in red devil wheel.
August 15, 2010KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Vision Coal, Inc. · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Drilling hole for resin bolt, EE smashed his middle finger and nail.
July 29, 2010KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE turned switch off on belt line and crossed belt line. EE set spads and then attempted to cross over belt line again. The belt line began running and EE fell off the belt line and hit his back against the rib. This caused an injury to his lower back.
January 25, 2010KY · Coalbeltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor riderPOWERED HAULAGE
EE was pulling cable from the back of the bolting machine. After doing this EE had pain in his low back area.
May 15, 2009KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Vision Coal, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
While performing his regular job duties as a roof bolter operator, employee reached up to get a section of drill steel when he got the middle finger of his left hand caught between the roof bolter pot and the mine roof.
2005 · 1 incident
November 29, 2005KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS