No. 53 Mine: 1 recorded fatality
Coal
Northfork,
Mcdowell County,
WV
·
Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4608598
No. 53 Mine has $41K in proposed MSHA penalties and $41K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 1
- Total incidents
- 6
- Years on record
- 1998–2002
- Latest incident
- Aug 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
47
significant & substantial
$41,281
proposed penalties
0% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $41,281 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
12.2
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.
133 citations across 1,091 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
No. 53 Mine has $41K in proposed MSHA penalties and $41K 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.
125 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-11-06.
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.
37.3%
significant & substantial
16.0%
high negligence or reckless
36.8%
reasonably likely or greater
44.0%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.4% low, 73.6% moderate, 16.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at No. 53 Mine shows 85% of 82 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: 2003-10-27, 22 years ago
52 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 30 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR34
- ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)15
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)9
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2003-11-03, 22 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR6
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: 2003-10-27, 22 years ago
Most-sampled occupations
- ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)8
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR4
- 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 |
| 2003 |
94% |
49 |
| 2002 |
73% |
33 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year |
silica avg (%) |
samples |
| 2003 |
4.0 |
2 |
| 2002 |
5.7 |
6 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, 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) |
| 2003 |
9 |
7,596 |
| 2002 |
7 |
16,706 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No. 53 Mine sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.
McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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 |
| 2003 Q4 |
3,021 |
3 |
1 |
993.0 |
| 2003 Q3 |
3,265 |
11 |
2 |
3369.1 |
| 2002 Q4 |
600 |
5 |
0 |
8333.3 |
| 2002 Q3 |
2,729 |
23 |
11 |
8428.0 |
| 2002 Q2 |
3,143 |
39 |
19 |
12408.5 |
| 2002 Q1 |
3,741 |
9 |
5 |
2405.8 |
Fatalities at this mine
1 recorded
February 3, 1998
WV · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
R & S Coal Company Inc · Struck by falling object
EE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS PLACED HIMSELF AT OR JUST INBY THE LAST ROW OF BOLTS WHEN A PIECE OF ROCK APPROXIMATELY 8' X 5' X 11" FELL STRIKING THE EE ON THE HEAD.
Reportable incidents
5 on file (excluding fatalities above)
2002 · 2 incidents
August 30, 2002
WV · Coal
laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman
ELECTRICAL
Niko Mining, Inc. · Contact with electrical current
EE GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES TO RESTART THE SHAKER & ROCK BELT BOX. PLACED ONE HAND ON BOX. USED THE OTHER TO SET BREAKER UP AND WAS SUPPOSEDLY SHOCKED.
January 30, 2002
WV · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
MACHINERY
Niko Mining, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
HE WENT TO MOVE A ROCK OFF THE ROADWAY. HE WAS ON HIS KNEES. LEFT FOOT NEAR THE DRILL POT. RIGHT FOOT NEAR THE RIB. ROCK WAS BETWEEN HIS KNEES HE USED 1 HAND TO LIFT ROCK, THE OTHER FOR LEVERA GE. HE HIT THE DRILL POT DOWN LEVER & SET IT DOWN ON HIS TOE.
1999 · 2 incidents
October 7, 1999
WV · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
MACHINERY
R & S Coal Company Inc · Struck by falling object
A 1' X 1' BY 1 1/2" PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL OUT AROUND ATRS WHILE PINNING, HITTING OPERATOR BESIDE HIS RIGHT EYE, TEMPLE & CHEEK. THERE WERE SMALL CUTS, SWELLING AND BRUISING, NO STITCHES WERE REQUIRED.
R & S Coal Company Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects
LIFTING LID ON ROOF BOLTER-STRAINED BACK.
1998 · 1 incident
R & S Coal Company Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
MAN HIT SELF ON FOOT WITH SLEDGE HAMMER WHILE TRYING TO DRIVE PIN OUT OF CONVEYOR CHAIN.