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.
283 citations across 1,641 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Prep Plant has $43K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 13 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.
$43K
proposed penalties
$43K
current assessed
$41K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
256 assessments are final orders; 13 contested dockets.
Of $12K in penalties contested before the Commission, $12K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-09-26.
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.
73citations taken to the federal commission · 26% of citations on record
Settled
11 · 15%
Stood as issued
61 · 84%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 1%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 44 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
1%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$11K proposed, $11K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2006-12-21.
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 Prep Plant shows 70% of 176 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: 2008-12-22, 17 years ago
70%
within 1.5 mg/m3
176
samples
8.66
dust max (mg/m3)
75 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 101 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.
Prep Plant recorded 15.30 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.
Injury rate, 2006
ⓘ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.
15.30
total case rate
11.48
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.87 and the all-US-mining average was 3.91 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.96 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
2006 *
15.30
11.48
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.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2009
5
2008
8
2007
6
2006
25
2005
13
2004
6
2003
9
2002
8
2001
7
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Prep Plant sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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 Q1
2,871
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
5,325
0
0
0.0
2008 Q3
4,383
8
0
1825.2
2008 Q2
3,098
0
0
0.0
2008 Q1
2,776
5
3
1801.2
2007 Q4
2,390
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
2,900
0
0
0.0
2007 Q2
3,366
3
0
891.3
Show 22 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2007 Q1
3,037
23
3
7573.3
2006 Q4
12,282
0
0
0.0
2006 Q3
13,438
17
14
1265.1
2006 Q2
12,058
45
21
3732.0
2006 Q1
14,508
10
5
689.3
2005 Q4
7,571
70
27
9245.8
2005 Q3
5,408
4
1
739.6
2005 Q2
7,350
18
9
2449.0
2005 Q1
5,235
12
7
2292.3
2004 Q3
3,252
0
0
0.0
2004 Q2
2,898
0
0
0.0
2004 Q1
2,143
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
2,402
0
0
0.0
2003 Q3
3,107
0
0
0.0
2003 Q2
5,287
0
0
0.0
2003 Q1
3,580
12
5
3352.0
2002 Q4
3,662
10
0
2730.7
2002 Q3
4,426
10
8
2259.4
2002 Q2
3,363
2
0
594.7
2002 Q1
3,879
13
13
3351.4
2001 Q4
3,673
8
5
2178.1
2001 Q3
2,614
3
2
1147.7
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
23 on file
2006 · 4 incidents
July 20, 2006KY · Coalprep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
HE WAS CHECKING RAILROAD CARS. WHILE HE WAS CHECKING RAILROAD CARS, THE BAR THAT HE USED TO CLOSE THE DOORS ON THE CARS SLIPPED AND HE FELL ON HIS LEFT HIP.
HE WAS INSTALLI3G INSIDE LOADER BUCKET TO COME LOOSE CAUSING INJURED RO FALL AND COAL CHUTE HIT HIM ON LEFT SIDE OF FOREHAD, CAUSING LACERATION ON FOREHEAD.
1985 · 1 incident
July 12, 1985KY · Coalwarehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
HE WAS WALKING AROUND COLLECTING BELT HEAD AND PUT HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE PULLEY ON THE HEAD ROLLER THIS PULLED HIS RIGHT HISRIGHT HAND AROUND CATCHING HIS INDEX FINGER BETWEEN THE PULLEY AND T HE V BELT
September 1, 1983KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)