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.
119 citations across 2,355 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Pax Load Out has $25K in proposed MSHA penalties and $701 outstanding across 4 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.
$25K
proposed penalties
$23K
current assessed
$22K
paid to date
$701
outstanding
115 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $6K in penalties contested before the Commission, $3K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-09-23.
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.
4citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
3 · 75%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 25%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
43%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$6K proposed, $3K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2023-07-11.
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 Pax Load Out shows 100% of 202 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: 2026-06-17
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
202
samples
1.07
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.
151 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 51 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.
Pax Load Out recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2025.
Injury rate, 2025
ⓘ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 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 1.97 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.89 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
2025 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
9.11
9.11
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
Year
Employees
2026
17
2025
14
2024
12
2023
9
2022
8
2021
7
2020
7
2019
7
2018
8
2017
7
2016
7
2015
7
2014
6
2013
5
2012
5
2011
5
2010
5
2009
7
2008
7
2007
6
2006
2
2005
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Pax Load Out sits in Fayette County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 3.0% 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.
Fayette County, West Virginia · Population 39,987
3.0%
Mining share of county employment
$52,672
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
2026 Q2
11,193
0
0
0.0
2026 Q1
10,515
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
8,590
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
9,169
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
9,787
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
9,709
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
7,682
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
7,670
0
0
0.0
Show 74 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
7,793
0
0
0.0
2024 Q1
7,886
3
0
380.4
2023 Q4
5,382
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
6,943
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
7,101
1
0
140.8
2023 Q1
6,109
0
0
0.0
2022 Q4
5,820
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
6,299
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
4,713
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
5,118
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
4,362
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
4,891
0
0
0.0
2021 Q2
5,228
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
5,190
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
4,296
1
0
232.8
2020 Q3
4,934
1
0
202.7
2020 Q2
4,887
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
5,098
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
4,166
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
4,731
0
0
0.0
2019 Q2
4,970
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
4,898
0
0
0.0
2018 Q4
4,347
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
4,910
0
0
0.0
2018 Q2
5,218
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
4,364
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
3,860
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
4,220
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
4,692
3
0
639.4
2017 Q1
4,877
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
3,868
0
0
0.0
2016 Q3
4,330
1
0
230.9
2016 Q2
4,391
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
4,755
2
0
420.6
2015 Q4
3,791
1
0
263.8
2015 Q3
4,506
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
4,291
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
3,326
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
3,133
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
4,609
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
4,365
1
0
229.1
2014 Q1
2,922
0
0
0.0
2013 Q4
2,548
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
3,079
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
3,765
0
0
0.0
2013 Q1
3,899
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
3,222
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
4,136
2
2
483.6
2012 Q2
4,129
0
0
0.0
2012 Q1
4,134
3
1
725.7
2011 Q4
3,224
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
3,553
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
3,597
0
0
0.0
2011 Q1
3,755
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
3,306
0
0
0.0
2010 Q3
3,566
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
3,825
0
0
0.0
2010 Q1
3,954
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
4,186
0
0
0.0
2009 Q3
4,370
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
3,429
0
0
0.0
2009 Q1
4,551
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
4,651
1
0
215.0
2008 Q3
4,374
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
4,695
2
1
426.0
2008 Q1
4,337
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
4,565
4
0
876.2
2007 Q3
4,033
4
1
991.8
2007 Q2
3,990
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
4,012
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
3,741
1
0
267.3
2006 Q2
0
0
0
2006 Q1
0
1
0
2005 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
6 on file
2022 · 1 incident
June 25, 2022WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was holding a part for the feeder weighing approx. 40 pounds, with arms extended out when EE felt pain in the left shoulder. Employee had surgery on 12/30/2022 and began missing work.
2015 · 1 incident
June 12, 2015WV · Coalutility man, shift tech, service/dump truck operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The employee was changing attachments on a bobcat from a bucket to forks. As he applied hand pressure to get the forks into place, the employee may have slipped allowing his chin to strike the lift bar on the bobcat.
On 7-18-13 an employee was assisting in carrying a pump when he allegedly twisted an ankle. The employee completed that shift & all shifts leading up to 8-5-13, when he was placed off for non work related & pre scheduled surgery. The operator learned of the physical therapy for the ankle during an investigation & well after the employee was placed off. There were no days lost
2006 · 3 incidents
June 13, 2006WV · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Crew was moving grating on 5th floor of loadout. When the grating fell over it caught injured employee on the back of his right leg causing a large laceration.