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.
516 citations across 12,011 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
No 4 has $102K in proposed MSHA penalties and $138 outstanding across 3 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.
$102K
proposed penalties
$91K
current assessed
$91K
paid to date
$138
outstanding
511 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $16K in penalties contested before the Commission, $5K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-08-05.
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.
5citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
Settled
5 · 100%
25%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 4 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
69%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$16K proposed, $5K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-09-15.
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 4 shows 96% of 1,136 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: 2022-08-23, 4 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
1,136
samples
5.87
dust max (mg/m3)
6
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.
419 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 717 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 4 recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022.
Injury rate, 2022
ⓘ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 3.26 and the all-US-mining average was 2.12 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.58 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
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2021 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2020 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
11.70
11.70
0.000
2018 *
11.05
11.05
0.000
2017 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2016 *
5.84
5.84
0.000
2015 *
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)
2023
27
17,000
2022
18
45,821
2021
19
169,734
2020
18
78,547
2019
19
55,935
2018
19
77,997
2017
19
85,740
2016
23
70,771
2015
29
108,077
2014
28
120,852
2013
27
112,379
2012
29
134,378
2011
30
144,934
2010
23
100,993
2009
13
48,394
2008
9
6,387
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No 4 sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2023 Q2
8,136
0
0
0.0
2023 Q1
7,500
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
6,120
1
0
163.4
2022 Q3
6,647
1
0
150.4
2022 Q2
7,074
3
0
424.1
2022 Q1
7,664
4
1
521.9
2021 Q4
7,429
5
1
673.0
2021 Q3
9,652
2
1
207.2
Show 52 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2021 Q2
9,861
2
0
202.8
2021 Q1
9,690
1
0
103.2
2020 Q4
10,404
5
0
480.6
2020 Q3
9,863
5
0
506.9
2020 Q2
10,180
13
1
1277.0
2020 Q1
10,001
6
0
599.9
2019 Q4
8,534
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
9,300
6
1
645.2
2019 Q2
8,600
19
1
2209.3
2019 Q1
7,764
6
2
772.8
2018 Q4
9,214
4
0
434.1
2018 Q3
9,410
6
0
637.6
2018 Q2
9,145
26
2
2843.1
2018 Q1
8,445
11
1
1302.5
2017 Q4
9,858
5
0
507.2
2017 Q3
7,869
12
0
1525.0
2017 Q2
7,910
6
0
758.5
2017 Q1
7,744
3
1
387.4
2016 Q4
8,524
8
1
938.5
2016 Q3
8,233
4
0
485.8
2016 Q2
12,127
3
0
247.4
2016 Q1
5,345
5
2
935.5
2015 Q4
13,573
10
1
736.8
2015 Q3
11,151
8
1
717.4
2015 Q2
13,794
25
2
1812.4
2015 Q1
12,938
13
1
1004.8
2014 Q4
14,251
18
2
1263.1
2014 Q3
13,579
4
0
294.6
2014 Q2
13,658
7
0
512.5
2014 Q1
13,047
5
1
383.2
2013 Q4
12,540
8
0
638.0
2013 Q3
12,483
20
5
1602.2
2013 Q2
8,063
20
1
2480.5
2013 Q1
8,876
25
5
2816.6
2012 Q4
18,323
21
4
1146.1
2012 Q3
16,658
24
2
1440.7
2012 Q2
16,181
9
3
556.2
2012 Q1
16,070
8
2
497.8
2011 Q4
18,724
15
3
801.1
2011 Q3
28,289
11
5
388.8
2011 Q2
16,354
8
1
489.2
2011 Q1
15,405
3
0
194.7
2010 Q4
23,369
4
1
171.2
2010 Q3
14,677
4
1
272.5
2010 Q2
13,409
9
1
671.2
2010 Q1
5,809
9
0
1549.3
2009 Q4
7,550
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
5,594
3
0
536.3
2009 Q2
6,450
11
2
1705.4
2009 Q1
5,745
17
6
2959.1
2008 Q4
6,127
9
1
1468.9
2008 Q3
120
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
9 on file
2019 · 2 incidents
August 15, 2019KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Employee was pulling miner cable when a rock fell on left ankle. Took to Pikeville Medical Center for evaluation of injured ankle, x-ray showed no major injury, nothing broken. Employee received 3 days off - paid by employer - Saturday, Monday, & Tuesday.
2016 · 1 incident
July 25, 2016KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE was not feeling well before going underground. He rode in on his 4-wheeler, went to the feeder told the shuttle car operator he was not feeling well so he was going to leave to go home, but he would stop and check his drive on the way out. Said he didn't do anything to hurt himself but hurt worse as he rode.
April 7, 2014KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Cavalier Mineral Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
EE was operating a ram car. He was turning a corner with his arm outside the operators deck. He turned the corner and the trailer caught his right arm between a pinch point of the ram car.
2013 · 1 incident
June 6, 2013KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
EE was in process of tramming double head roof bolter into the #4 heading. After arrival in heading a rock measuring 1x1x3/4 fell from mine roof, striking ee on left hand, resulting in hairline fracture of left thumb.