Mining Incidents

No 1: 1 recorded fatality Coal

Dacoal Mining Inc · Underground
Controlled by David Stevenson
DANTE, Russell County, VA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4407016

No 1 has $13K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
7
Years on record
2001–2003
Latest incident
Aug 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
131
citations
43
significant & substantial
$12,875
proposed penalties
$12,875
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
58
inspections on record
1,471
inspection hours
8.9
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.
131 citations across 1,471 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

No 1 has $13K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$13K
proposed penalties
$13K
current assessed
$13K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
128 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2004-02-03.
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.
33.1%
significant & substantial
4.6%
high negligence or reckless
33.8%
reasonably likely or greater
10.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.0% low, 85.4% moderate, 4.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at No 1 shows 99% of 222 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: 2004-03-05, 22 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
222
samples
1.78
dust max (mg/m3)
104 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 118 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR116
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)21
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)16

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2004-01-22, 22 years ago
6.4
silica avg (%)
29
samples
17.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR11

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: 2003-12-05, 22 years ago
14%
over PEL
22
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)7
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR5
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)4
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
2004 96% 24
2003 100% 63
2002 97% 68
2001 100% 67
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2004 7.0 2
2003 7.0 11
2002 4.6 6
2001 6.8 10
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2003 20% 10
2002 11% 9
2001 0% 3
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

No 1 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2003.

Injury rate, 2003
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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 5.87 and the all-US-mining average was 4.43 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.11 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. Dacoal Mining Inc 2000 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)
2004 6 28,245
2003 12 67,995
2002 11 69,411
2001 8 52,011
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

No 1 sits in Russell County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 4.5% 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.
Russell County, Virginia · Population 25,635
4.5%
Mining share of county employment
$49,020
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
2004 Q4 0 0 0
2004 Q3 0 0 0
2004 Q2 3,106 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 4,628 3 1 648.2
2003 Q4 5,568 6 2 1077.6
2003 Q3 5,703 10 1 1753.5
2003 Q2 6,457 9 1 1393.8
2003 Q1 4,695 14 7 2981.9
Show 8 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2002 Q4 4,864 7 3 1439.1
2002 Q3 4,596 6 4 1305.5
2002 Q2 5,169 8 4 1547.7
2002 Q1 3,631 9 3 2478.7
2001 Q4 4,385 18 7 4104.9
2001 Q3 3,599 15 3 4167.8
2001 Q2 3,847 13 2 3379.3
2001 Q1 1,777 11 3 6190.2

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
July 27, 2001 VA · Coal truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Dacoal Mining Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

A CONTRACTOR PARKED HIS TRUCK IN A TURN AROUND AREA APPROX. 75 YARDS FROM STOCKPILE OF UNDERGROUND MINE. HE PLACED AN IMPROVISED STAND UNDERNEATH THE REAR OF THE TRUCK TO LEVER THE TRUCK OFF T HE GROUND AS BED RAISED. UNDERNEATH, HE BEGAN WORKING, ADJUSTING BRAKES. TRUCK EITHER ROLLED OR SLIPPED OF STAND PINCHING HIM BETWEEN THE REAR AXLE & STAND. FOUND SITTING ON GROUND UNDER TRUC

Reportable incidents

6 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2003 · 1 incident

August 12, 2003 VA · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dacoal Mining Inc · Accident type, without injuries

A ROOF FALL OCCURRED IN THE #2 ENTRY OF 2ND RIGHT APP. 2600 FT. OUTBY FACE 120 FT INBY SPAD #182. THE FALL MEASURED 70' LONG 18' WIDE AND 6' THICK. 60 INCH FULL GROUTED RESIN RODS USED IN THIS AREA.

2002 · 5 incidents

July 22, 2002 VA · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dacoal Mining Inc · Accident type, without injuries

A ROOF FALL OCCURRED INT HE #6 ENTRY OF 1ST RIGHT APP. 700 FT OUT FACE 30 FT OUTBY SPAD #32 THE FALL MEASURED APP 90 FT 18 FT WIDE AND 7-8 FT THICK.

June 20, 2002 VA · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dacoal Mining Inc · Accident type, without injuries

A ROOF FALL OCCURRED IN #6 ENTRY OF 1ST RIGHT APP 750 FT OUT BY FACE 30 FT IN BY SPAD #77. THE FALL MEASURED APP 100 FT LONG 18 FT WIDE AND 6 FT THICK.

May 8, 2002 VA · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider POWERED HAULAGE
Dacoal Mining Inc · Struck by flying object

THE BELT MAN RESTED HIS HAND ON THE #1 BELT TAIL PIECE WHEN A ROCK THAT WAS DUMPED FROM THE #2 BELT BOUCNED OVE3R STRICKING HIS HAND.

April 10, 2002 VA · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dacoal Mining Inc · Accident type, without injuries

A ROOF FALL OCCURRED IN #6 ENTRY OF #1 MAINS APPROX. 300' OUTBY THE FACE OF 1ST RIGHT. THE FALL MEASURED APPROX. 30' X 18' X 6' THICK.

February 25, 2002 VA · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dacoal Mining Inc · Accident type, without injuries

SLICKENED SIDED SLIP SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN ROOF APP. 5' IN THICKNESS, 14-20' WIDE, AND 24' LONG, AT SPAD #78 APP. 1000' OUTBY THE FACE.