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.
323 citations across 3,441 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Mine No. 6 has $49K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 7 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.
$49K
proposed penalties
$42K
current assessed
$40K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
319 assessments are final orders; 7 contested dockets.
Of $17K in penalties contested before the Commission, $11K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-11-26.
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.
36citations taken to the federal commission · 11% of citations on record
Settled
35 · 97%
Stood as issued
1 · 3%
89%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 9 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
39%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$17K proposed, $11K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2009-06-04.
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. 6 shows 93% of 437 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: 2008-11-21, 17 years ago
93%
within 1.5 mg/m3
437
samples
8.78
dust max (mg/m3)
253 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 184 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. 6 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 Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.44 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 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2003 *
8.46
8.46
0.000
2002 *
6.09
0.00
0.000
2001 *
7.83
7.83
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)
2009
0
2008
6
16,828
2007
4
2006
11
41,753
2005
16
132,225
2004
17
93,208
2003
11
59,696
2002
13
80,710
2001
12
62,419
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mine No. 6 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
2009 Q2
0
0
0
2009 Q1
0
0
0
2008 Q4
2,845
22
3
7732.9
2008 Q3
3,840
30
11
7812.5
2008 Q2
1,290
3
0
2325.6
2008 Q1
2,373
1
1
421.4
2007 Q4
2,625
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
2,307
1
0
433.5
Show 26 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q2
2,445
1
0
409.0
2007 Q1
2,453
2
0
815.3
2006 Q4
117
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
117
6
0
51282.1
2006 Q2
7,928
10
5
1261.4
2006 Q1
13,760
15
7
1090.1
2005 Q4
8,860
11
5
1241.5
2005 Q3
9,593
25
13
2606.1
2005 Q2
9,721
6
3
617.2
2005 Q1
10,185
8
3
785.5
2004 Q4
9,993
21
7
2101.5
2004 Q3
9,524
9
3
945.0
2004 Q2
7,714
15
7
1944.5
2004 Q1
6,445
44
28
6827.0
2003 Q4
6,156
12
6
1949.3
2003 Q3
7,164
22
11
3070.9
2003 Q2
6,547
10
0
1527.4
2003 Q1
3,764
5
2
1328.4
2002 Q4
8,180
9
2
1100.2
2002 Q3
8,841
9
0
1018.0
2002 Q2
7,602
7
2
920.8
2002 Q1
8,237
3
1
364.2
2001 Q4
8,106
2
1
246.7
2001 Q3
8,986
4
0
445.1
2001 Q2
6,210
5
0
805.2
2001 Q1
2,237
2
1
894.1
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
5 on file
2005 · 1 incident
February 18, 2005VA · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was shoveling on the narrow side of belt line when his shovel caught on a splice, slinging employee against the rib of mine wall. Employee twisted neck, shoulders and back.
EMPLOYEE WAS IN PROCESS OF MOVING BELT - WHEN HE THOUGHT HE PULLED A MUSCLE. REPORTED TO MINE BOSS. DID NOT GO TO DOCTOR UNTIL 3/8/04 AT WHICH TIME DOCTOR INFORMED EMPLOYEE HE NEEDED SURGERY F OR A HERNIA.
2003 · 1 incident
November 19, 2003VA · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
CONVEYOR CHAIN WAS BEING REPAIRED BY EE. EE WAS HOLDING SLEDGE HAMMER WHILE OTHER WAS HITTING THE LINK TO PUT CHAIN BACK TOGETHER. A PIECE OF THE LINK SHEARED OFF HITTING EE IN THE RIGHT EYE.
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