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.
695 citations across 4,803 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: 2014-05-28.
On record since 2014.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Mine No. 6 has $550K in proposed MSHA penalties and $198K outstanding across 25 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.
$550K
proposed penalties
$461K
current assessed
$263K
paid to date
$198K
outstanding
676 assessments are final orders; 25 contested dockets.
Of $392K in penalties contested before the Commission, $301K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-08-10.
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.
94citations taken to the federal commission · 14% of citations on record
Settled
84 · 89%
Stood as issued
9 · 10%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 1%
79%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 62 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
23%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$392K proposed, $301K 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 2015-11-29.
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 96% of 567 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: 2015-11-19, 10 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
567
samples
9.51
dust max (mg/m3)
1
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.
235 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 332 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 2015.
Injury rate, 2015
ⓘ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 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.22 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
2015 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
4.93
4.93
0.000
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
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)
2018
0
2017
0
2016
0
2015
22
44,242
2014
25
52,834
2013
22
48,937
2012
15
42,483
2011
13
36,694
2010
15
46,007
2009
14
42,425
2008
12
44,383
2007
11
33,002
2006
10
41,729
2005
6
16,725
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Mine No. 6 sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.
McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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
2018 Q3
0
0
0
2018 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q4
0
0
0
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
Show 45 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
7,555
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
9,417
20
4
2123.8
2015 Q2
10,478
32
12
3054.0
2015 Q1
7,377
49
14
6642.3
2014 Q4
12,652
29
4
2292.1
2014 Q3
11,548
47
14
4070.0
2014 Q2
12,444
44
7
3535.8
2014 Q1
10,344
31
4
2996.9
2013 Q4
11,610
16
2
1378.1
2013 Q3
10,936
11
3
1005.9
2013 Q2
9,444
13
0
1376.5
2013 Q1
8,616
21
5
2437.3
2012 Q4
9,042
15
1
1658.9
2012 Q3
6,872
15
1
2182.8
2012 Q2
6,619
7
2
1057.6
2012 Q1
6,196
9
1
1452.6
2011 Q4
6,096
12
3
1968.5
2011 Q3
5,348
12
4
2243.8
2011 Q2
6,477
9
4
1389.5
2011 Q1
5,477
12
3
2191.0
2010 Q4
7,273
11
4
1512.4
2010 Q3
6,094
15
4
2461.4
2010 Q2
6,990
21
5
3004.3
2010 Q1
6,123
34
10
5552.8
2009 Q4
6,529
35
10
5360.7
2009 Q3
5,847
24
8
4104.7
2009 Q2
6,144
7
0
1139.3
2009 Q1
5,166
4
0
774.3
2008 Q4
5,300
11
2
2075.5
2008 Q3
4,699
16
1
3405.0
2008 Q2
4,457
21
5
4711.7
2008 Q1
3,923
12
1
3058.9
2007 Q3
4,342
2
1
460.6
2007 Q2
5,122
5
2
976.2
2007 Q1
4,622
1
0
216.4
2006 Q4
5,668
15
5
2646.4
2006 Q3
4,338
0
0
0.0
2006 Q2
3,153
8
1
2537.3
2006 Q1
2,296
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
2,849
11
2
3861.0
2005 Q3
2,354
1
0
424.8
2005 Q2
0
0
0
2005 Q1
1,056
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
2013 · 1 incident
September 5, 2013WV · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
The injured person said he took a bar and was prizing area real hard on the ARTS shields to expand them and strained lower back. Then when he started to crawl his back hurt real bad. He came outside.