Royalton, Jackson County,
IL
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1103162
Royal Falcon Mine has $24K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 5 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
18
Years on record
2008–2009
Latest incident
Oct 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2007
71
citations
22
significant & substantial
$23,503
proposed penalties
$20,364
paid to date
87% 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.
71 citations across 1,776 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Royal Falcon Mine has $24K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$24K
proposed penalties
$20K
current assessed
$20K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
65 assessments are final orders; 5 contested dockets.
Of $11K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2009-11-12.
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.
11citations taken to the federal commission · 15% of citations on record
Settled
10 · 91%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 9%
71%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 7 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$11K proposed, $8K 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 2009-11-09.
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 Royal Falcon Mine shows 92% of 149 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: 2022-07-05, 4 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
149
samples
3.98
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.
85 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 64 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.
Royal Falcon Mine recorded 9.04 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2009.
Injury rate, 2009
ⓘ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.
9.04
total case rate
9.04
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.16 and the all-US-mining average was 3.36 cases per 100 workers.
In Illinois, coal mining averaged 6.50 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2009
9.04
9.04
0.000
2008 *
2.60
0.00
0.000
2007 *
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)
2023
0
2022
1
2021
1
2020
2
2010
0
2009
51
366,773
2008
31
195,753
2007
12
19,441
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Royal Falcon Mine sits in Jackson County, Illinois, where the Census mining category is 0.4% 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.
Jackson County, Illinois · Population 52,706
0.4%
Mining share of county employment
$45,572
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
2023 Q2
0
0
0
2023 Q1
0
0
0
2022 Q4
0
0
0
2022 Q3
314
0
0
0.0
2022 Q2
88
0
0
0.0
2022 Q1
238
0
0
0.0
2021 Q4
1,101
0
0
0.0
2021 Q3
70
0
0
0.0
Show 20 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2021 Q2
0
0
0
2021 Q1
0
0
0
2020 Q4
679
0
0
0.0
2020 Q3
708
0
0
0.0
2020 Q2
846
0
0
0.0
2020 Q1
800
0
0
0.0
2010 Q2
0
0
0
2010 Q1
0
0
0
2009 Q4
19,074
6
2
314.6
2009 Q3
30,124
19
2
630.7
2009 Q2
32,593
4
0
122.7
2009 Q1
28,780
14
8
486.4
2008 Q4
30,369
3
1
98.8
2008 Q3
21,694
7
2
322.7
2008 Q2
14,587
8
0
548.4
2008 Q1
10,410
1
1
96.1
2007 Q4
10,801
0
0
0.0
2007 Q3
9,721
1
1
102.9
2007 Q2
5,349
1
0
187.0
2007 Q1
3,127
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
18 on file
2009 · 11 incidents
October 5, 2009IL · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
EE was putting a roof bolt in a trimed off corner of an intersection. He bent over to pick up the roof bolt after drilling his hole and felt a pain in his left shoulder and neck. He continued to work from the date of the accident until Monday, 10/19/09.
June 9, 2009IL · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The employee was working on the Main West head roller out in the pit. When he was done, he stepped on the belt rail to get down. His foot slipped and he tried to catch himself by grabbing the coal shute, which caused him to strain his right shoulder. He continued to work until Monday, 6/29/09.
An unplanned roof fall occurred at Knight Hawk Coal LLC, Royal Falcon mine on 6-2-2009 in the Main North return. MSHA was immediatly notified and all steps required were followed. No K-order or citations were issued since it was in the return outby the tailpiece. No injuries or equipment damage happened in this fall.
May 26, 2009IL · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Roof bolter was pulling drill steel out of chuck when he felt a pain in his left shoulder. He had continued to work after the accident until 10-19-09. The accident caused a tearing of his left shoulder rotator cuff. He has missed his first day of work on 10/19/2009 due to having surgery.
Knight Hawk Coal LLC, Royal Falcon Mine has had an unplanned roof fall in #4 entry at the +570' cross cut in the Main North return. No equipment or people were envolved in the fall. The fall was called in within 10 min. of discovering it. All the required steps have been taken.
An unplanned roof fall was discovered in the Main North section in #7 entry at the +1495' mark. The fall was immediately called in to MSHA and all proceedures have been followed. We at Royal Falcon have moved the 001-0 section into the 1st West Panel and have abandoned the Main North.
March 30, 2009IL · Coaldiscontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was trying to hang the continuous miner cable by himself when he felt pain in his right shoulder. The pain continued to get worse and he had to have surgery on it on 5/11/09. Ron worked until the day he had surgery.
Knight Hawk Coal LLC, Royal Falcon Mine has had an unplanned roof fall in the 1st E. Panel at the +580' mark in the #5 entry. Plans have been sent to MSHA to clean up the roof fall. No one was injured or hurt in the fall. No equipment was involved in the fall.
February 9, 2009IL · Coalshuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Ram Car operator got off of his car to move some miner cable out of his haulage road. He felt a sharp, pulling pain in his stomach. He went to the doctor to have it checked out and found that he had a hernia. He will have surgery to correct the hernia.
We at Royal Falcon Mine had an unplanned roof fall on 1/18/2009 in the #2 entry at the +770 cross cut in the 1st E. Panel. A Fletcher double boom roof bolter was partially under the fall. A plan for recovery of the bolter was approved by MSHA and the bolter has been recovered. A clean up plan has has been approved by MSHA and clean up is now underway. No one was injured.
We at Royal Falcon Mine had an unplanned roof fall in the 1st East panel at the +580 cross-cut in the #6 entry inby the section tailpiece. The roof fall fell on our Joy 12 continuous miner. All rehab plans have been approved and been followed. No one was injured in the fall.
Knight Hawk Coal LLC, Royal Falcon Mine found a roof fall in the #1 entry of the Main West at the +430 cross cut in the return. The fall did not obstruct any escapeways, air courses, and was outby the tailpiece of the section. The fall was called in to MSHA and we have done what our district asked of us. No employees or equipment were involved in the fall.
Knight Hawk Coal LLC, Royal Falcon Mine has experienced an unintentional roof fall. The fall happened in the first set of return rooms of the 1st east panel at the +288 cross cut in the #3 entry. No persons or equipment were damaged. MSHA was contacted at 2:19. PM. The area fell at 2:15 p.m. and is now dangered off and cribed off.
December 5, 2008IL · Coallaborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scalerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Knight Hawk Coal, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was helping put up Heintzman beams. They had put a safety chain around the beam and the boom of the Bobcat, when one of the men pushed too hard, causing the beam to come off of the boom of the Bobcat. The employee tried to keep it from falling on another employee. When he tried to catch the beam, it smashed his lower right arm between the boom and the beam.