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.
326 citations across 2,739 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
No 4 has $41K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K 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.
$41K
proposed penalties
$41K
current assessed
$37K
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
325 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-03-16.
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.
MSHA sampling at No 4 shows 95% of 344 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: 2005-09-21, 20 years ago
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
344
samples
4.48
dust max (mg/m3)
113 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 231 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 2005.
Injury rate, 2005
ⓘ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 5.11 and the all-US-mining average was 4.21 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 4.71 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
2005 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2003 *
5.19
0.00
0.000
2002 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2001 *
6.35
6.35
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)
2005
18
69,053
2004
21
102,386
2003
20
120,453
2002
18
108,337
2001
15
90,944
2000
5
2,468
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No 4 sits in Tazewell County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 3.1% 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.
Tazewell County, Virginia · Population 39,933
3.1%
Mining share of county employment
$45,788
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
2005 Q4
0
0
0
2005 Q3
8,703
2
0
229.8
2005 Q2
12,481
21
13
1682.6
2005 Q1
11,470
35
12
3051.4
2004 Q4
10,516
5
4
475.5
2004 Q3
9,661
17
11
1759.7
2004 Q2
10,528
25
15
2374.6
2004 Q1
9,899
8
4
808.2
Show 15 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2003 Q4
10,051
16
11
1591.9
2003 Q3
8,656
14
5
1617.4
2003 Q2
9,609
15
6
1561.0
2003 Q1
10,255
15
6
1462.7
2002 Q4
9,902
35
9
3534.6
2002 Q3
10,010
20
13
1998.0
2002 Q2
9,630
19
6
1973.0
2002 Q1
8,208
7
4
852.8
2001 Q4
6,577
30
13
4561.4
2001 Q3
8,213
16
6
1948.1
2001 Q2
8,080
10
3
1237.6
2001 Q1
8,647
8
4
925.2
2000 Q4
1,040
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
0
0
0
2000 Q1
10
6
2
600000.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
51 on file
2003 · 2 incidents
October 10, 2003VA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE WAS WALKING AROUND ROOF BOLTING MACHINE, WHEN HE SAID HE TWISTED HIS LEFT KNEE. EE WENT TO THE DOCTOR ON 10-13-03. DOCTOR TOLD HIM HE COULD WORK. HE WENT BACK ON 11-11-03 AND THE DOCTOR TOL D HIM HE WAS GOING TO HAVE SURGERY. THE SURGERY CANNOT BE PERFORMED TILL SOMETIME IN 01-2004. EE IS TRYING TO WORK TILL THEN.
VICTIM WAS RIDING IN A SCOOP WITH FEDERAL MSHA INSPECTORS. THE BOUNCING SCOOP CAUSED A SEVERE DISRUPTION IN THE VICTIMS NERVOUS SYSTEM AND A SEVERE BREATHING ATTACK VICTIM HAD TO BE TRANSPORTE D TO SURFACE UPBEING ADDMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL THE VCITIM WAS PART UNDER DECTOR TREATMENT. AND IS STILL OFF AND BEING TREATED FOR SEVERE RESPIRATORY AND NERVE DAMAMGE INJURY LOWER BACK.
2 CROSSCUTS INBY STATION #1240 8'LONG X 15' WIDE X 1" TO 36" THICK PIECE OF ROCK FELL ON HEAD OF A 1410 AA CM CONTINUOUS MINER AND FOULED MINER FROM BACKING OUT. NO PEOPLE WERE INJURED OR TRAP PED - USED RETREIVER TO FREE MINER.
WITNESS STATED EE & ANOTHER EE WERE ON MAC 8 IT BACKED OVER SOME CRIB BLOCKS & HUNG UP. THEY WERE LIFTING THE MAC 8 SO EE COULD GET A CRIB BLOCKUNDER IT WHEN THE MAC 8 FELL CAUGHT HIS HAND BET WEE4N MAC8 & CRIB BLOCK. LATER MED REPORTS ITS PROVED 2 BONES WERE BROKEN RIGHT HAND
September 3, 1999VA · Coalbull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift bossMACHINERY
EE WAS OPERATING A SCOOP HAULING CINDER BLACK FOR A BRATTICE ACROSS UNEVEN BOTTOM, WHILE PASSING THROUGHT A LOW SPOT IN THE TOP, HE STRUCK HIS HEAD INTO THE ROOF, STUBBING HIS NECK.
THE MINER OPERATOR WAS MINING THE #2 LEFT CROSSCUT TOWARDS #1 HEADING WHEN THE MACHINE BROKE THRU INTO AN OLD MINE THAT HAD NOT BEEN MAPPED AND PLOTTED ON OUR MAPS. THE FOREMAN INSTANTLY PULLE D ALL MEN OUTBY TO SAFETY AND CONTACTED THE SURFACE AND EVALUATED THE AREA.
1997 · 3 incidents
May 21, 1997VA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
THE INJURED PERSON WAS CLEANING OUT TAILSHAFT ON FEEDER, WITH A MASON HAMMER, THEY WERE TURNING FEEDER CHAIN ON & OFF. A FLIGHT IN THE CHAIN CAUGHT THE HAMMER PULLINT THE INJURED PERSON HAND U NDER CHAIN.