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.
88 citations across 1,486 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
No. 9 Mine has $22K in proposed MSHA penalties and $7K outstanding across 9 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.
$22K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$12K
paid to date
$7K
outstanding
78 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $8K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2024-05-06.
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.
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.
31citations taken to the federal commission · 35% of citations on record
Settled
30 · 97%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 3%
57%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 7 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
25%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$8K proposed, $6K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2016-08-31.
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. 9 Mine shows 97% of 131 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: 2013-05-14, 13 years ago
97%
within 1.5 mg/m3
131
samples
3.08
dust max (mg/m3)
67 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 64 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. 9 Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.
Injury rate, 2014
ⓘ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 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.63 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
2014 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2013 *
13.58
13.58
0.000
2012 *
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)
2016
3
2015
5
2014
14
2013
26
76,097
2012
34
143,367
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
No. 9 Mine sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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 Q3
1,143
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
2016 Q1
1,887
0
0
0.0
2015 Q4
3,406
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
3,158
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
4,000
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
6,564
0
0
0.0
Show 11 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2014 Q3
7,204
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
6,685
2
1
299.2
2014 Q1
5,610
3
0
534.8
2013 Q4
4,025
3
0
745.3
2013 Q3
1,637
6
0
3665.2
2013 Q2
21,229
8
1
376.8
2013 Q1
32,029
8
0
249.8
2012 Q4
23,249
17
2
731.2
2012 Q3
18,628
4
0
214.7
2012 Q2
22,630
6
1
265.1
2012 Q1
9,974
11
0
1102.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file
2013 · 4 incidents
May 7, 2013KY · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The employee was in the conveyor of the shuttle car, cleaning some loose coal from the side of the operators compartment, and when he stepped out onto the bottom, he twisted his left ankle. (Fracture)
March 20, 2013KY · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
Liggett Mining LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
The employee was located at the off-side rear of the Fletcher roof bolting machine, and a roof bolt and plate had fallen off the machine. The employee bent down to pick it up and the operator began tramming the machine at this time and backed the machine up onto the employee's right foot.
March 19, 2013KY · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The employee was removing a brattice, in a worked out area of the mine, to create a common travel way. While loading the excess brattice block into the scoop bucket, the employee stumbled and fell, striking his left little finger on a rock lying on the bottom, causing a laceration.
January 8, 2013KY · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was standing in the left crosscut of the #4 entry, on the 001 section. The continuous miner set in to shear the inby left corner of the crosscut, and a rock flew from the ripper head, striking the employee on the right knee.