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: 704 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Polly Surface has $40K in proposed MSHA penalties and $26K outstanding across 5 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.
$40K
proposed penalties
$38K
current assessed
$12K
paid to date
$26K
outstanding
157 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $20K in penalties contested before the Commission, $18K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2004-06-14.
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.
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 Polly Surface shows 93% of 160 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: 2004-07-27, 22 years ago
93%
within 1.5 mg/m3
160
samples
2.77
dust max (mg/m3)
55 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 105 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.
Polly Surface recorded 4.78 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2003.
Injury rate, 2003
ⓘ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.
4.78
total case rate
4.78
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 5.87 and the all-US-mining average was 4.43 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 6.65 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2003
4.78
4.78
0.000
2002
1.30
1.30
0.000
2001
0.00
0.00
0.000
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)
2004
23
63,629
2003
48
230,627
2002
63
450,339
2001
54
386,569
2000
10
9,367
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Polly Surface sits in Letcher County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 3.5% 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.
Letcher County, Kentucky · Population 21,146
3.5%
Mining share of county employment
$40,501
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
2004 Q3
9,507
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
15,812
2
2
126.5
2004 Q1
18,927
10
5
528.3
2003 Q4
20,504
1
0
48.8
2003 Q3
26,252
12
2
457.1
2003 Q2
23,458
4
2
170.5
2003 Q1
55,334
22
7
397.6
2002 Q4
49,547
0
0
0.0
Show 8 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2002 Q3
47,617
32
9
672.0
2002 Q2
25,544
0
0
0.0
2002 Q1
30,978
27
12
871.6
2001 Q4
37,914
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
20,025
16
7
799.0
2001 Q2
28,546
0
0
0.0
2001 Q1
22,082
10
5
452.9
2000 Q4
1,962
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file
2003 · 3 incidents
September 25, 2003KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
HOLDING PIN WITH PLIERS WHILE ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WAS HITTING PIN WITH HAMMER. CO-WORKER MISSED PIN & HIT EE'S RIGHT WRIST (EE WENT BACK TO WORK SAME DAY, DR SAID WRIST BRUISED.) HIS WRIST KEPT H URTING AND ON 3-17-03 TOOK BACK TO DR AND WRIST WAS FRACTURED.