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.
347 citations across 2,592 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Mine No. 4 has $73K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 14 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.
$73K
proposed penalties
$59K
current assessed
$59K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
342 assessments are final orders; 14 contested dockets.
Of $38K in penalties contested before the Commission, $24K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-08-12.
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.
102citations taken to the federal commission · 29% of citations on record
Settled
102 · 100%
90%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 48 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
37%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$38K proposed, $24K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2008-10-06.
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. 4 shows 100% of 385 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: 2008-07-15, 18 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
385
samples
1.18
dust max (mg/m3)
179 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 206 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. 4 recorded 4.80 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.
Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ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.
4.80
total case rate
4.80
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
About average. The US coal mining average was 4.71 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.66 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
2007 *
4.80
4.80
0.000
2006 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2005 *
5.10
5.10
0.000
2004 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2003 *
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)
2008
18
73,918
2007
17
142,587
2006
18
133,578
2005
16
124,875
2004
16
99,933
2003
12
98,232
2002
12
23,159
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mine No. 4 sits in Wise County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 5.9% 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.
Wise County, Virginia · Population 35,727
5.9%
Mining share of county employment
$50,740
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
2008 Q3
6,058
9
2
1485.6
2008 Q2
10,451
39
14
3731.7
2008 Q1
10,221
7
1
684.9
2007 Q4
11,399
20
4
1754.5
2007 Q3
10,926
11
2
1006.8
2007 Q2
9,252
8
0
864.7
2007 Q1
10,064
8
6
794.9
2006 Q4
9,820
10
5
1018.3
Show 17 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2006 Q3
9,231
23
6
2491.6
2006 Q2
11,411
9
3
788.7
2006 Q1
10,960
9
2
821.2
2005 Q4
8,849
14
3
1582.1
2005 Q3
8,998
6
4
666.8
2005 Q2
10,780
18
5
1669.8
2005 Q1
10,558
24
11
2273.2
2004 Q4
9,478
32
16
3376.2
2004 Q3
9,303
16
8
1719.9
2004 Q2
8,603
32
14
3719.6
2004 Q1
8,356
24
14
2872.2
2003 Q4
7,267
10
3
1376.1
2003 Q3
6,387
3
2
469.7
2003 Q2
7,445
5
1
671.6
2003 Q1
7,621
2
0
262.4
2002 Q4
8,701
5
3
574.6
2002 Q3
5,129
1
1
195.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
5 on file
2007 · 1 incident
October 16, 2007VA · Coalbeltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor riderSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON