Reese's Branch Mine has $22K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2009–2016
Latest incident
Oct 2016
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2006
102
citations
29
significant & substantial
$21,237
proposed penalties
$20,805
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $432 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.
102 citations across 1,279 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Reese's Branch Mine has $22K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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.
$22K
proposed penalties
$22K
current assessed
$22K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
110 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $5K in penalties contested before the Commission, $4K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2017-10-12.
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.
7citations taken to the federal commission · 7% of citations on record
Settled
7 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 5 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
9%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$5K proposed, $4K 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 2008-01-30.
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 Reese's Branch Mine shows 99% of 284 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: 2020-08-17, 6 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
284
samples
2.27
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.
184 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 100 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.
Reese's Branch Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2017.
Injury rate, 2017
ⓘ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 3.79 and the all-US-mining average was 2.48 cases per 100 workers.
In Alabama, coal mining averaged 4.27 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
2017 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2016
2.85
2.85
0.000
2015
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014
0.00
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
2010
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)
2020
4
2019
0
2018
2
4,838
2017
28
89,732
2016
57
303,803
2015
59
330,643
2014
54
341,803
2013
55
263,888
2012
59
276,916
2011
59
603,013
2010
55
439,709
2009
48
312,719
2008
49
392,685
2007
28
206,093
2006
27
78,255
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Reese's Branch Mine sits in Walker County, Alabama, where the Census mining category is 3.3% 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.
Walker County, Alabama · Population 64,886
3.3%
Mining share of county employment
$54,509
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
2020 Q3
2,384
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
741
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
3,484
0
0
0.0
2019 Q3
0
0
0
2019 Q1
0
0
0
2018 Q4
0
0
0
2018 Q3
0
0
0
2018 Q2
0
0
0
Show 47 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2018 Q1
7,981
0
0
0.0
2017 Q4
9,959
1
1
100.4
2017 Q3
10,232
0
0
0.0
2017 Q2
9,944
0
0
0.0
2017 Q1
29,149
0
0
0.0
2016 Q4
28,491
2
0
70.2
2016 Q3
38,681
1
0
25.9
2016 Q2
37,510
3
0
80.0
2016 Q1
35,734
4
0
111.9
2015 Q4
43,318
0
0
0.0
2015 Q3
33,428
0
0
0.0
2015 Q2
40,714
2
0
49.1
2015 Q1
33,356
1
0
30.0
2014 Q4
38,038
8
1
210.3
2014 Q3
31,728
0
0
0.0
2014 Q2
34,531
3
0
86.9
2014 Q1
3,017
3
1
994.4
2013 Q4
34,528
0
0
0.0
2013 Q3
30,356
5
4
164.7
2013 Q2
27,960
2
2
71.5
2013 Q1
22,279
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
38,280
5
1
130.6
2012 Q3
34,173
0
0
0.0
2012 Q2
24,740
4
1
161.7
2012 Q1
31,933
0
0
0.0
2011 Q4
31,310
2
0
63.9
2011 Q3
31,914
0
0
0.0
2011 Q2
33,707
5
2
148.3
2011 Q1
31,067
0
0
0.0
2010 Q4
34,890
4
0
114.6
2010 Q3
31,017
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
28,961
3
1
103.6
2010 Q1
29,111
0
0
0.0
2009 Q4
25,121
4
1
159.2
2009 Q3
26,551
0
0
0.0
2009 Q2
26,551
3
0
113.0
2009 Q1
26,105
1
0
38.3
2008 Q4
25,142
4
1
159.1
2008 Q3
27,114
0
0
0.0
2008 Q2
24,710
1
0
40.5
2008 Q1
22,119
0
0
0.0
2007 Q4
23,116
7
5
302.8
2007 Q3
21,560
4
0
185.5
2007 Q2
15,128
0
0
0.0
2007 Q1
613
0
0
0.0
2006 Q4
16,121
3
0
186.1
2006 Q3
1,508
3
0
1989.4
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
5 on file
2016 · 2 incidents
October 25, 2016AL · Coalutility man, shift tech, service/dump truck operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Watering roads, going up hill the truck stalled out and began to roll backwards, employee turned it into berm to stop it and the loaded water truck overturned.
Service truck had pulled out of the pit area and the head lights went dim. Service operator pulled to the top of the hill to check the problem with the head lights. Once at the top of the hill he was checking the lights and noticed the truck was smoking from the rear of the truck. The truck started to burn on the back.
The driver began backing onto the drill bench when he felt the brakes go soft. He reacted by turning the steering wheel of the truck abruptly to the left causing the truck to turn onto its side.
The blaster helper was driving Kenworth Truck up steep grade at mine site. The back wheels started to spin & bounce, causing drive shaft to break. Due to weight of material on truck, truck started sliding back down the steep grade. Blaster helper jumped from truck & sprained his left ankle. Which will result in the blaster helper being off work for 3 scheduled work days.
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