Primrose Slope has $30K in proposed MSHA penalties and $398 outstanding across 11 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
4
Years on record
2004–2014
Latest incident
Jun 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
199
citations
49
significant & substantial
$30,011
proposed penalties
$26,872
paid to date
90% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,139 gap.
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.
199 citations across 7,831 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2013-01-18.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Primrose Slope has $30K in proposed MSHA penalties and $398 outstanding across 11 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.
$30K
proposed penalties
$27K
current assessed
$27K
paid to date
$398
outstanding
189 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $15K in penalties contested before the Commission, $13K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2017-04-20.
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.
27citations taken to the federal commission · 14% of citations on record
Settled
19 · 70%
Stood as issued
8 · 30%
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 17 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
12%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$13K 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 2013-06-18.
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 Primrose Slope shows 98% of 1,032 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: 2017-04-06, 9 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
1,032
samples
6.50
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.
510 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 522 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.
Primrose Slope recorded 8.98 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014.
Injury rate, 2014
ⓘ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.
8.98
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 5.34 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
2014 *
8.98
0.00
0.000
2013 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2001 *
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
ⓘCoal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.
Year
Employees
Coal produced (tons)
2017
8
960
2016
9
14,874
2015
11
9,824
2014
12
20,919
2013
11
13,127
2012
14
18,642
2011
15
18,874
2010
10
9,745
2009
10
15,259
2008
9
14,076
2007
9
12,231
2006
9
11,931
2005
9
14,752
2004
9
13,158
2003
8
11,212
2002
8
12,029
2001
9
18,794
2000
7
11,570
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Primrose Slope sits in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.1% 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.
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania · Population 143,259
1.1%
Mining share of county employment
$66,901
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
2017 Q1
3,978
1
0
251.4
2016 Q4
3,996
2
0
500.5
2016 Q3
4,346
2
2
460.2
2016 Q2
4,120
1
0
242.7
2016 Q1
4,240
2
0
471.7
2015 Q4
3,990
1
0
250.6
2015 Q3
1,280
3
1
2343.8
2015 Q2
6,400
2
0
312.5
Show 61 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2015 Q1
5,560
1
0
179.9
2014 Q4
6,240
3
0
480.8
2014 Q3
5,440
2
1
367.6
2014 Q2
5,720
2
0
349.7
2014 Q1
4,880
1
0
204.9
2013 Q4
4,800
1
0
208.3
2013 Q3
5,200
2
0
384.6
2013 Q2
5,980
2
0
334.4
2013 Q1
4,200
5
4
1190.5
2012 Q4
6,396
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
7,304
1
0
136.9
2012 Q2
8,008
2
0
249.8
2012 Q1
6,474
1
0
154.5
2011 Q4
7,209
3
0
416.1
2011 Q3
7,168
2
0
279.0
2011 Q2
4,706
3
1
637.5
2011 Q1
4,655
1
0
214.8
2010 Q4
4,550
2
1
439.6
2010 Q3
3,960
2
0
505.1
2010 Q2
632
2
0
3164.6
2010 Q1
4,320
3
2
694.4
2009 Q4
4,576
3
0
655.6
2009 Q3
4,472
3
0
670.8
2009 Q2
4,666
1
0
214.3
2009 Q1
4,342
4
1
921.2
2008 Q4
4,671
3
0
642.3
2008 Q3
4,167
16
2
3839.7
2008 Q2
4,185
7
0
1672.6
2008 Q1
4,030
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
2,694
3
0
1113.6
2007 Q3
4,208
9
4
2138.8
2007 Q2
4,601
2
0
434.7
2007 Q1
5,016
1
1
199.4
2006 Q4
4,360
3
2
688.1
2006 Q3
4,752
2
0
420.9
2006 Q2
4,064
3
2
738.2
2006 Q1
4,336
3
0
691.9
2005 Q4
4,312
2
0
463.8
2005 Q3
4,296
3
1
698.3
2005 Q2
4,192
2
1
477.1
2005 Q1
4,360
6
0
1376.1
2004 Q4
4,152
5
2
1204.2
2004 Q3
4,264
7
7
1641.7
2004 Q2
4,488
1
0
222.8
2004 Q1
4,200
5
1
1190.5
2003 Q4
4,000
3
1
750.0
2003 Q3
3,848
2
0
519.8
2003 Q2
3,176
3
0
944.6
2003 Q1
1,392
19
7
13649.4
2002 Q4
2,100
4
0
1904.8
2002 Q3
3,780
1
0
264.6
2002 Q2
1,260
2
1
1587.3
2002 Q1
11,640
1
0
85.9
2001 Q4
11,640
0
0
0.0
2001 Q3
11,640
1
0
85.9
2001 Q2
11,640
1
0
85.9
2001 Q1
2,940
2
0
680.3
2000 Q4
2,520
3
0
1190.5
2000 Q3
1,848
1
0
541.1
2000 Q2
2,520
2
1
793.7
2000 Q1
1,740
3
3
1724.1
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
4 on file
2014 · 1 incident
June 23, 2014PA · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanDISORDERS (PHYSICAL AGENTS)
Employee climbed a ladder to grease the chiv wheel of the tipple. When he was returning down the ladder he felt dizzy form the heat. 3 men assisted employee to return to the ground safely.