Mining Incidents

OAM#19: 11 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Matthew T Orr
Buckhorn, Laurel County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1519762

OAM#19 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
2
Years on record
2014–2015
Latest incident
Feb 2015
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2015
11
citations
3
significant & substantial
$1,778
proposed penalties
$1,778
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2014
12
inspections on record
271
inspection hours
n/a
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: 271 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

OAM#19 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
11 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2017-11-30.
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.
27.3%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
27.3%
reasonably likely or greater
27.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 18.2% low, 81.8% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at OAM#19 shows 100% of 12 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: 2017-11-30, 8 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
12
samples
0.35
dust max (mg/m3)
0
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.
12 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER6
  • AUGER 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: 2017-11-30, 8 years ago
8%
over PEL
12
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • AUGER HELPER6
  • AUGER OPERATOR6
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
2017 100% 4
2016 100% 4
2015 100% 4
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2017 0% 4
2016 0% 4
2015 25% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Orr Auger Mining LLC 2014 to 2017
  2. Green Hill Mining,Inc 2017 to 2018
  3. Orr Auger Mining,LLC 2018 to present
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)
2018 2 800
2017 2 1,930
2016 2 3,292
2015 2 6,127
2014 2 933
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

OAM#19 sits in Laurel County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 0.5% 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.
Laurel County, Kentucky · Population 62,731
0.5%
Mining share of county employment
$56,999
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
2018 Q2 73 0 0 0.0
2018 Q1 85 0 0 0.0
2017 Q4 311 1 0 3215.4
2017 Q3 339 0 0 0.0
2017 Q2 328 2 0 6097.6
2016 Q4 678 1 0 1474.9
2015 Q4 200 0 0 0.0
2015 Q3 360 0 0 0.0
Show 3 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2015 Q2 272 3 2 11029.4
2015 Q1 228 2 1 8771.9
2014 Q4 320 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

2 on file

2015 · 1 incident

February 11, 2015 KY · Coal auger operator, auger crew supervisor HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Orr Auger Mining LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Auger operator and mine foreman and his auger helper were repairing front pin puller on Salem 1500B Auger. Foreman let part of pin puller slip out of his hand and mashed his right thumb.

2014 · 1 incident