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.
Rate withheld: 610 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Nora Contour has $8K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$8K
proposed penalties
$8K
current assessed
$8K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
56 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $807 in penalties contested before the Commission, $362 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-06-16.
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.
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.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 100%
100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
55%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$807 proposed, $362 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2008-07-03.
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 Nora Contour shows 98% of 40 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: 2008-06-12, 18 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
40
samples
1.69
dust max (mg/m3)
34 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 6 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.
Nora Contour recorded 15.04 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2002.
Injury rate, 2002
ⓘ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.
15.04
total case rate
15.04
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 6.89 and the all-US-mining average was 5.05 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 6.43 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
2002 *
15.04
15.04
0.000
2001 *
15.86
10.58
0.000
2000 *
21.25
21.25
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)
2009
3
1,387
2008
7
20,507
2007
5
5,588
2003
7
19,324
2002
17
73,453
2001
17
84,959
2000
12
90,253
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Nora Contour sits in Dickenson County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 9.8% 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.
Dickenson County, Virginia · Population 13,920
9.8%
Mining share of county employment
$43,831
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
2009 Q4
0
0
0
2009 Q3
439
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
2,936
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
1,734
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
3,304
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
3,232
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
3,856
4
1
1037.3
2008 Q1
3,078
4
0
1299.5
Show 18 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q4
2,835
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
1,570
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
0
0
0
2003 Q3
0
0
0
2003 Q2
7,099
4
3
563.5
2003 Q1
9,344
8
4
856.2
2002 Q4
9,743
0
0
0.0
2002 Q3
10,511
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
9,855
8
4
811.8
2002 Q1
9,782
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
8,448
7
3
828.6
2001 Q3
10,810
1
0
92.5
2001 Q2
9,658
6
1
621.2
2001 Q1
8,908
4
0
449.0
2000 Q4
6,601
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
8,751
2
0
228.5
2000 Q2
6,356
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
6,528
2
0
306.4
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2003 · 1 incident
February 3, 2003VA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
EE ROLLED A 55 GALLON DRUM OF ANTIFREEZE INTO THE BUCKET OF A LOADER. HE ROLLED THE DRUM APPROX.3'. AT THE END OF HIS WORK SHIFT (5 PM) HE WAS COMPLAINING OF HIS BACK HURTING.
2002 · 3 incidents
June 5, 2002VA · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
A TIRE FOR A POWDER TRUCK HAD FALLEN OVER FROM A FUEL TANK THAT IT HAD BEEN LYING AGAINST. AS EE WENT TO PUT IT BACK UP HE HURT HIS BACK. EE WAS ALSO INJURED (HIS BACK) ON 1-17-02 AS HE WAS HO LDING A BAR THAT HAD A MOTOR ON IT. THIS ACCIDENT ON 1-17-02 WAS REPORTED TOO.
EMPLOYEE AND HIS HELPER WAS HOLDING A SLATE BAR WITH A TRAM MOTOR FOR A D45 DRILL HANGING FROM IT AND WAS BEING LINED UP BY ANOTHER HELPER. AS HE WAS HOLDING THE SLATE BAR HE FELT A PAIN IN HI S BACK.
EE PARKED HIS SUPPLY TRUCK ALONG SIDE A CAT 777 HAULER TO WELD A HAND RAIL ONT HE HAULER AND AS HE WAS ON HIS SUPPLY TRUCK HE LOSTED HIS FOOTING AND FELL TO THE GROUND APPROX. 6 TO 7 FEET.
March 12, 2001VA · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
EE WAS CUTTING TIMBER IN FRONT OF THE HOKIE#7 STRIP & HE CUT A TREE THAT HAD GRAPE VINES IN IT& WHEN THE TREE FELL, THE VINES CAUSED THE TREE TO FALL THE WRONG DIRECTION & HIT THE EE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD KNOCKING HIM HEADFIRST INTO A TREE STUMP
EE HAD PULLED HIS TRUCK ONTO THE DUMP AREA & STARTED BACKING UP TO THE DUMPING SITE. AS HE WAS BACKING BACK THE ROAD SPLIT & HE BACKED BETWEEN THE SPLIT OF THE ROADS THE TRUCK TURNED OVER ONT O ITS SIDE