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.
85 citations across 1,156 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: 2010-09-20.
On record since 2010.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Ralphton Mine has $17K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$17K
proposed penalties
$17K
current assessed
$17K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
82 assessments are final orders; 4 contested dockets.
Of $6K in penalties contested before the Commission, $6K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-06-23.
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.
11citations taken to the federal commission · 13% of citations on record
Settled
11 · 100%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
12%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$6K proposed, $6K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2014-07-08.
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 Ralphton Mine shows 100% of 175 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: 2025-11-25
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
175
samples
0.71
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.
118 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 57 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.
Ralphton Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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 3.16 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 3.30 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
2024 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2023 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2022 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2019 *
6.46
6.46
0.000
2018 *
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)
2026
2
2025
3
6,154
2024
9
36,872
2023
11
57,346
2022
10
80,281
2021
5
47,759
2020
4
22,411
2019
12
74,150
2018
12
88,451
2017
7
75,669
2016
2
9,776
2015
0
2014
6
41,178
2013
8
37,122
2012
6
49,773
2011
5
24,505
2010
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Ralphton Mine sits in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 1.6% 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.
Somerset County, Pennsylvania · Population 73,255
1.6%
Mining share of county employment
$59,378
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
686
1
0
1457.7
2026 Q1
708
0
0
0.0
2025 Q4
695
0
0
0.0
2025 Q3
749
0
0
0.0
2025 Q2
2,309
0
0
0.0
2025 Q1
2,369
0
0
0.0
2024 Q4
4,307
0
0
0.0
2024 Q3
4,942
0
0
0.0
Show 55 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
6,619
3
0
453.2
2024 Q1
5,226
1
0
191.4
2023 Q4
5,785
0
0
0.0
2023 Q3
7,581
0
0
0.0
2023 Q2
7,883
2
1
253.7
2023 Q1
7,353
3
1
408.0
2022 Q4
7,293
0
0
0.0
2022 Q3
8,824
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
7,592
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
6,159
3
0
487.1
2021 Q4
5,486
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
4,343
3
1
690.8
2021 Q2
3,085
0
0
0.0
2021 Q1
922
0
0
0.0
2020 Q4
1,347
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
1,158
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
4,015
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
2,002
0
0
0.0
2019 Q4
2,775
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
8,414
9
1
1069.6
2019 Q2
10,093
0
0
0.0
2019 Q1
9,678
4
0
413.3
2018 Q4
10,137
0
0
0.0
2018 Q3
8,496
3
0
353.1
2018 Q2
8,109
0
0
0.0
2018 Q1
4,637
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
4,596
0
0
0.0
2017 Q3
4,484
5
1
1115.1
2017 Q2
4,860
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
4,352
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
3,838
9
3
2345.0
2016 Q3
143
0
0
0.0
2016 Q2
354
0
0
0.0
2016 Q1
0
0
0
2015 Q4
0
0
0
2015 Q3
16
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
0
0
0
2015 Q1
0
0
0
2014 Q4
73
0
0
0.0
2014 Q3
4,151
2
0
481.8
2014 Q2
4,548
0
0
0.0
2014 Q1
4,989
7
2
1403.1
2013 Q4
5,588
2
2
357.9
2013 Q3
3,165
0
0
0.0
2013 Q2
3,412
2
0
586.2
2013 Q1
4,025
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
4,263
5
4
1172.9
2012 Q3
3,634
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
3,724
1
1
268.5
2012 Q1
4,039
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
3,326
0
0
0.0
2011 Q3
3,134
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
1,446
2
0
1383.1
2011 Q1
3,200
1
1
312.5
2010 Q4
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
1 on file
2019 · 1 incident
February 6, 2019PA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techPOWERED HAULAGE
Mechanic standing on steps of rock truck. Operating controls while assisting other mechanic. The part of the truck EE was controlling started to move and they leaned away, lost balance, and fell backwards to the ground. Landed on their back and struck back of head.