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.
470 citations across 3,714 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Mine No 1 has $246K in proposed MSHA penalties and $53K outstanding across 13 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.
$246K
proposed penalties
$176K
current assessed
$123K
paid to date
$53K
outstanding
464 assessments are final orders; 13 contested dockets.
Of $137K in penalties contested before the Commission, $67K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2012-09-17.
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.
33citations taken to the federal commission · 7% of citations on record
Settled
24 · 73%
Stood as issued
8 · 24%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 3%
85%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 27 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
53%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$142K proposed, $67K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-08-24.
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 No 1 shows 95% of 410 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: 2012-09-11, 13 years ago
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
410
samples
7.94
dust max (mg/m3)
193 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 217 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 No 1 recorded 17.09 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2011.
Injury rate, 2011
ⓘ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.
17.09
total case rate
11.39
days-away rate
5.696
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.83 and the all-US-mining average was 3.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.28 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
2011 *
17.09
11.39
5.696
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
2.65
2.65
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
17
50,720
2011
20
81,452
2010
17
82,985
2009
16
62,549
2008
16
59,541
2007
37
179,056
2006
35
171,753
2005
25
52,873
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mine No 1 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 Q3
8,513
7
0
822.3
2012 Q2
9,211
20
3
2171.3
2012 Q1
9,005
21
8
2332.0
2011 Q4
8,380
26
6
3102.6
2011 Q3
8,556
8
1
935.0
2011 Q2
8,959
15
3
1674.3
2011 Q1
9,216
8
2
868.1
2010 Q4
8,738
7
1
801.1
Show 22 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2010 Q3
8,661
8
1
923.7
2010 Q2
7,318
11
1
1503.1
2010 Q1
7,518
15
2
1995.2
2009 Q4
6,918
18
2
2601.9
2009 Q3
7,329
11
3
1500.9
2009 Q2
7,374
7
2
949.3
2009 Q1
6,390
18
3
2816.9
2008 Q4
4,772
29
3
6077.1
2008 Q3
0
0
0
2008 Q2
3,582
23
9
6421.0
2008 Q1
18,544
13
3
701.0
2007 Q4
19,546
16
6
818.6
2007 Q3
20,199
29
8
1435.7
2007 Q2
19,882
29
10
1458.6
2007 Q1
18,587
27
11
1452.6
2006 Q4
18,551
26
11
1401.5
2006 Q3
18,719
8
3
427.4
2006 Q2
19,723
10
6
507.0
2006 Q1
18,453
14
3
758.7
2005 Q4
15,712
9
2
572.8
2005 Q3
6,880
27
7
3924.4
2005 Q2
1,279
0
0
0.0
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
October 7, 2011KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Miner was turning drive shaft on mobile bridge carrier when hand slipped off pipe wrench he was using to turn shaft causing the pipe wrench to strike him in the jaw.
May 17, 2011KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Owlco Energy LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Miner was lining up two pieces of metal one piece of metal slipped mashing miners left index finger between the two pieces of metal.
2006 · 1 incident
July 17, 2006KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Employee was installing roof bolts, he started to swing the head over to install the next roof bolts when he accidently dropped the canopy on his head, which is over the roof bolter.
2005 · 1 incident
October 21, 2005KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS