Mining Incidents

No 1: 1 recorded fatality Coal

J & A Coal Corp · Underground
Controlled by Jody Samons
Lackey, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1515776

No 1 has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
14
Years on record
1987–2000
Latest incident
Apr 2000
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
28
citations
10
significant & substantial
$3,307
proposed penalties
$0
paid to date
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,307 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
11
inspections on record
342
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: 342 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

No 1 has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K 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.
$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$0
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
27 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2001-03-15.
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.
37.0%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
37.0%
reasonably likely or greater
11.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 0.0% low, 100.0% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at No 1 shows 96% of 46 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: 2000-04-13, 26 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
46
samples
2.03
dust max (mg/m3)
34 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 12 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR14
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)6
  • BLASTER/SHOOTER/SHOTFIRER4

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2000-04-19, 26 years ago
3.8
silica avg (%)
6
samples
5.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR4

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: 2000-04-13, 26 years ago
0%
over PEL
6
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BLASTER/SHOOTER/SHOTFIRER1
  • COAL DRILL OPERATOR1
  • CUTTING MACHINE OPERATOR1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Redbud Mining Company Inc 1986 to 1997
  2. J & A Coal Corp 1997 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)
2000 32 79,946
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

No 1 sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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
2000 Q2 8,909 7 1 785.7
2000 Q1 14,235 18 8 1264.5

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
March 11, 1999 KY · Coal roof bolter helper, rock bolter helper, pinner helper Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
J & A Coal Corp · Struck by falling object

VICTIM WAS ATTEMPTING TO BOLT A BOOM HOLE, (AS BOLTER HELPER) WHEN A PIECE OF ROOF ROCK FELL, WHICH DID STRIKE THE VICTIM, APPARENTLY CAUSING TRAUMA INJURY THAT RESULTED IN DEATH.

Reportable incidents

13 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2000 · 2 incidents

April 13, 2000 KY · Coal laborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler POWERED HAULAGE
J & A Coal Corp · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE WAS TRYING TO REMOVE ROCK FROM FEEDER. HIS LEFT HAND BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN THE ROOF AND BACK.

1999 · 4 incidents

June 14, 1999 KY · Coal electrician, lineman ELECTRICAL
J & A Coal Corp · Contact with electrical current

EE APPARENTLY/INADVERTANTLY LAID HIS LEFT ARM DOWN AGAINST THE TRANSFORMER IN THE CONTROL PANEL OF THE CUTTING MACHINE, RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL SHOCK.

March 11, 1999 KY · Coal scoop car operator MACHINERY
J & A Coal Corp · Struck by falling object

EE WAS ATTEMPTING TO BOLT A BOOM HOLE (AS A BOLTER HELPER) WHEN A PIECE OF ROOF ROCK FELL ON HIS LEFT HAND.

1998 · 1 incident

February 21, 1998 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
J & A Coal Corp · Struck by falling object

A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL HITTING EMPLOYEE IN FOOT JUST BEHIND STEEL TOE. BROKE 2 TOES AND CUT ONE. EMPLOYEE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING A BOLT WHICH DISLODGED A PIECE OF ROCK.

1989 · 3 incidents

July 24, 1989 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Redbud Mining Company Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS MARKING TOP AND TWISTED HIS BACK.

January 14, 1989 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Redbud Mining Company Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects

I NAME WAS HAND LOADING BAG ROCKDUST IN A UTILITY TRAILER WHEN HEHURT HIS BACK THIS IS A REINJURY OF A OLD INJURY

1988 · 1 incident

April 11, 1988 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Redbud Mining Company Inc · Struck by falling object

EMPL WAS SETTING SAFETY JACK IN #4 RT BRK WHEN PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL OUT OF RIB PINNING EMPL. LOADER OPERATOR GOT ROCK OFF EMPL ROCK WAS 2" THICK BY 5'X2'. EMPL WAS TREATED FOR SHOCK & POS SIBLE BACK INJURY TRANSPORTED TO SURFACE ON SLED & TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.

1987 · 2 incidents

September 14, 1987 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Redbud Mining Company Inc · Accident type, without injuries

FALL WAS DISCOV9RED ON PRESHIFT EXAMINATION FALL OCCURRED IN THE #5 ENTRY APPROX 130 FT OUTBY THE WORKING FACE FALL ORIGINALLY IN AN INTERSECTION AND WAS APPROX 30 FT IN LENGTH 16 FT IN WIDT H AND UP TO 42 3N THICK AREA HAD BEEN CRIBBED OFF PRIOR TO FALL

April 27, 1987 KY · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler POWERED HAULAGE
Redbud Mining Company Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

I.NAME UNLOADED3SCOOP BUCKET & GOT INTO BUCKET STAPPED DOWN PLACING R FOOT UNDER TRACTOR TOUNGE SCOOP OPERATOR RAISED BUCKET PINCHING R FOOT BETWEEN SCOOP BUCKET & TRACTOR TOUNGE