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Pioneer Load Out: 58 MSHA citations Coal

Sassafras, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1516710

Pioneer Load Out has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $457 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
12
Years on record
1989–1996
Latest incident
Jun 1996
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
58
citations
23
significant & substantial
$4,443
proposed penalties
$3,986
paid to date
90% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $457 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Enterprise Mining Company LLC's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
46
inspections on record
834
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: 834 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Pioneer Load Out has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $457 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$457
outstanding
57 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-05-10.
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.
39.7%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
39.7%
reasonably likely or greater
1.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 10.3% low, 89.7% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Pioneer Load Out shows 100% 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: 2007-12-13, 18 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
82
samples
1.21
dust max (mg/m3)
70 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 12 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR21
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR17
  • CRUSHER ATTENDANT13

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2005-01-13, 21 years ago
4.9
silica avg (%)
4
samples
17.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR3
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2007-04-10, 19 years ago
0%
over PEL
45
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • TIPPLE OPERATOR9
  • UTILITY MAN9
  • CRUSHER ATTENDANT8
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2007 100% 12
2006 100% 7
2005 100% 7
2004 100% 5
2003 100% 12
2002 100% 9
2001 100% 15
2000 100% 15
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2005 0.7 1
2003 9.2 2
2001 0.4 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2007 0% 10
2006 0% 4
2005 0% 4
2004 0% 7
2003 0% 8
2002 0% 4
2001 0% 4
2000 0% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Pioneer Load Out recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2007.

Injury rate, 2007
ⓘ 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
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 4.71 and the all-US-mining average was 3.77 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.12 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
2007 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2006 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2005 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Diamond May Coal Company Inc 1989 to 2000
  2. Diamond May Coal Co Inc 2000 to 2006
  3. Enterprise Mining Company LLC 2006 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2007 10
2006 11
2005 8
2004 9
2003 5
2002 5
2001 5
2000 6
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Pioneer Load Out sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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
2007 Q4 5,916 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 6,269 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 7,689 4 1 520.2
2007 Q1 7,778 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 6,710 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 5,586 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 6,600 0 0 0.0
2006 Q1 6,918 1 1 144.6
Show 23 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2005 Q4 5,905 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 6,500 1 0 153.8
2005 Q2 5,219 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 4,351 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 5,544 2 1 360.8
2004 Q2 6,325 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 4,758 1 0 210.2
2003 Q4 3,018 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 3,638 2 1 549.8
2003 Q2 3,251 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 1,970 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 3,131 1 0 319.4
2002 Q3 3,278 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 3,141 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 4,200 1 0 238.1
2001 Q4 2,999 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 3,559 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 2,515 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 3,325 4 2 1203.0
2000 Q4 2,584 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 4,178 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 3,493 2 1 572.6
2000 Q1 4,478 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

12 on file

1996 · 1 incident

June 7, 1996 KY · Coal outside foreman, leadman DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

EE SEEKING BENEFITS FOR COAL WORKERS PNEUMONCONIOSIS, EE NOTIFIED 6-7-96 EE S INSURANCE IS ACTIVELY SEEKING A MORE DEFINITE SECOND OPINION.

1995 · 1 incident

1994 · 2 incidents

November 4, 1994 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

EE WAS DRIVING A GROUND ROD INTO THE GROUND WITH A 16 LB. SLEDGE HAMMER WHEN HE FELT A SHARP PAIN IN HIS RT HAND.

April 4, 1994 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EE WAS PULLING A 200 FEET LONG WATER HOSE UP A SMALL INCLINE TO CLEAN A DRAW OFF TUNNEL WHEN HE EITHER PULLED OR TORE A MUSCLE IN HIS RIGHT SHOULDER.

1992 · 4 incidents

December 1, 1992 KY · Coal draftsman, surveyor/transit work supervisor OTHER
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Struck by flying object

WIND BLOWING FINE COAL AROUND, SOME BLEW INTO RIGHT EYE UNDER CONTACT LENS CAUSING INFECTION AND SCRATCH.

October 12, 1992 KY · Coal tipple/top lander/skip dumper operator, binman, topman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EMPLOYEE THREW LEVER OF HOPPER TO CHANGE PLOW OF COAL THROUGH PREPARATION PLANT AFTER WHICH EMPLOYEE COMPLAINED TO BACK PAIN.EMPLOYEE WAS THEN TAKEN TO ARH WHERE HE WAS GIVEN A SHOT AND X-RAYS

August 12, 1992 KY · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Over-exertion in lifting objects

55061S PULLING ELECTRICAL CABLE FELT PAIN IN LOWER BACK WORKED REST OF DA4 WENT TO E.R. IN EVENING MUSCLE STRAIN LOWER BACK.

1991 · 3 incidents

1989 · 1 incident

September 12, 1989 KY · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Diamond May Coal Company Inc · Fall from machine

EMPL WAS GETTING OFF OF LOADER WHILE HE SLIPPED AND FELL TO GROUND