Mining Incidents

Mine No. 3: 38 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Roger L Kirk
Clifford, Lawrence County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519467

Mine No. 3 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2014
Latest incident
Apr 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2010
38
citations
15
significant & substantial
$4,247
proposed penalties
$300
paid to date
7% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,947 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2010
20
inspections on record
729
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: 729 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Mine No. 3 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 0 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$300
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
36 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-04-17.
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.
41.7%
significant & substantial
2.8%
high negligence or reckless
41.7%
reasonably likely or greater
13.9%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 47.2% low, 50.0% moderate, 2.8% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Mine No. 3 shows 97% of 38 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: 2015-01-15, 11 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
38
samples
3.03
dust max (mg/m3)
0
over MSHA ECV
The excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
34 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 4 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR11
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER8
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE8

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2011-04-05, 15 years ago
9.1
silica avg (%)
1
samples
9.1
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1

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.

Last sampled: 2015-01-15, 11 years ago
0%
over PEL
23
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER7
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR6
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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.
Year within 1.5 mg/m3 samples
2015 100% 5
2014 100% 10
2013 100% 13
2011 90% 10
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2015 0% 5
2013 0% 13
2011 0% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Mine No. 3 recorded 12.04 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.

Injury rate, 2014
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.
12.04
total case rate
12.04
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.63 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.
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.
Ownership history
  1. Phoenix Resources, LLC 2010 to 2011
  2. Black Gem Mining, Inc. 2011 to 2013
  3. Roadway Unlimited LLC 2013 to present
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)
2015 10 6,241
2014 15 79,653
2013 9 21,026
2010 25 33,288
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Mine No. 3 sits in Lawrence County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.4% 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.
Lawrence County, Kentucky · Population 16,171
3.4%
Mining share of county employment
$45,584
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
2015 Q1 4,552 1 0 219.7
2014 Q4 5,637 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 9,364 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 10,744 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 7,472 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 7,034 0 0 0.0
2013 Q3 6,639 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 1,454 0 0 0.0
Show 1 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2010 Q2 11,275 8 3 709.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2014 · 2 incidents

April 25, 2014 KY · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Roadway Unlimited LLC · Fall from machine

Rock truck operator was getting off truck at approx. 5:00 when he slipped from bottom step and falling to the ground, hitting ground hurting lower back.

February 20, 2014 KY · Coal outside foreman, leadman POWERED HAULAGE
Roadway Unlimited LLC · Struck against a moving object

992D loader loading rock trucks in pit area when loader wheel went in soft spot in pit causing bucket to hit bed on rock truck jerking operator - causing sore back.