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.
1,243 citations across 8,526 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: 2012-06-13.
On record since 2012.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
No. 2 has $707K in proposed MSHA penalties and $144 outstanding across 12 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.
$707K
proposed penalties
$654K
current assessed
$654K
paid to date
$144
outstanding
1,224 assessments are final orders; 12 contested dockets.
Of $164K in penalties contested before the Commission, $111K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2016-02-08.
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.
26citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
Settled
18 · 69%
Stood as issued
7 · 27%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 4%
96%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 24 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
33%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$164K proposed, $111K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-10-04.
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 No. 2 shows 96% of 840 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: 2016-02-10, 10 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
840
samples
4.91
dust max (mg/m3)
3
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.
394 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 446 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.
No. 2 recorded 10.66 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.
10.66
total case rate
3.55
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 6.64 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 *
10.66
3.55
0.000
2014
1.93
1.93
0.000
2013 *
6.11
2.04
0.000
2012 *
12.01
6.01
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
6.28
6.28
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)
2016
5
18,291
2015
23
64,613
2014
41
97,641
2013
44
94,083
2012
44
123,180
2011
43
126,222
2010
41
106,909
2009
42
117,740
2008
41
117,972
2007
41
127,884
2006
41
132,986
2005
38
141,706
2004
35
166,669
2003
22
35,008
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No. 2 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
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
12,858
11
1
855.5
2015 Q4
12,630
12
2
950.1
2015 Q3
14,049
19
5
1352.4
2015 Q2
14,768
29
14
1963.7
2015 Q1
14,857
32
19
2153.9
Show 46 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2014 Q4
18,565
72
26
3878.3
2014 Q3
25,599
35
15
1367.2
2014 Q2
31,291
43
14
1374.2
2014 Q1
27,981
26
9
929.2
2013 Q4
26,038
11
2
422.5
2013 Q3
24,587
6
0
244.0
2013 Q2
30,041
24
11
798.9
2013 Q1
17,545
11
3
627.0
2012 Q4
24,333
25
4
1027.4
2012 Q3
23,875
7
1
293.2
2012 Q2
25,928
18
6
694.2
2012 Q1
25,755
26
10
1009.5
2011 Q4
24,412
43
15
1761.4
2011 Q3
23,171
18
8
776.8
2011 Q2
24,162
40
12
1655.5
2011 Q1
24,742
20
10
808.3
2010 Q4
23,218
18
7
775.3
2010 Q3
23,024
38
19
1650.5
2010 Q2
26,968
37
9
1372.0
2010 Q1
21,164
22
7
1039.5
2009 Q4
24,553
13
2
529.5
2009 Q3
21,296
25
8
1173.9
2009 Q2
25,206
10
3
396.7
2009 Q1
25,623
12
1
468.3
2008 Q4
24,318
17
5
699.1
2008 Q3
21,983
11
2
500.4
2008 Q2
25,208
14
5
555.4
2008 Q1
24,044
18
1
748.6
2007 Q4
24,202
44
15
1818.0
2007 Q3
22,814
28
9
1227.3
2007 Q2
24,397
29
13
1188.7
2007 Q1
23,411
44
29
1879.5
2006 Q4
23,639
26
12
1099.9
2006 Q3
22,279
17
9
763.1
2006 Q2
21,911
22
10
1004.1
2006 Q1
21,948
44
26
2004.7
2005 Q4
21,875
15
7
685.7
2005 Q3
19,678
6
0
304.9
2005 Q2
21,839
7
1
320.5
2005 Q1
21,161
12
6
567.1
2004 Q4
20,756
39
24
1879.0
2004 Q3
19,148
58
34
3029.0
2004 Q2
18,581
38
21
2045.1
2004 Q1
17,800
13
5
730.3
2003 Q4
16,314
15
4
919.5
2003 Q3
639
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
23 on file
2015 · 4 incidents
April 21, 2015VA · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerMACHINERY
While tramming a double head fletcher roof bolter two breaks outby the section feeder EE trammed the roof bolter over uneven (hump) bottom bounced him against the top injuring his chest and back.
April 9, 2015VA · Coallaborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
While extracting partial pillar recovery #6 entry the 2nd right cut out of the pillar an unintentional roof fall trapping our continuous miner under approximately 4' to 5' of roof. This area appeared to have laminated roof condition.
February 26, 2015VA · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was rockdusting around power venter - He lifted a bag of rockdust said he felt pain in lower back. Did not report accident to management until 10/1/2012.
September 6, 2012VA · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Belt foreman was jacking up tailpiece to put a header board under it. He was cleaning out under the tailpiece foot when the jsck kicked out, let the tailpiece drop down.
January 11, 2008VA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
EE was sitting in the deck of his shuttle car, he had his left foot outside the deck. A piece of rock rolled over on his foot, his shuttle car was not in use at the time.
July 21, 2007VA · Coalbull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift bossHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was trying to move a rock that was hung in the section tailpiece with a piece of pinner steel. The steel slipped & one end hit the employee in the chest.
2006 · 1 incident
December 21, 2006VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Employee was setting a hydraulic tailpiece jack at the section tailpiece. He alledged that a piece of rock broke loose from the roof when pressure was applied to the jack, stiking him on the left shoulder.
2004 · 3 incidents
July 28, 2004VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS