S-20 Bevins Branch has $75K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 10 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
2004–2014
Latest incident
May 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
207
citations
57
significant & substantial
$74,747
proposed penalties
$60,954
paid to date
82% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $13,793 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.
207 citations across 2,383 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
S-20 Bevins Branch has $75K in proposed MSHA penalties and $3K outstanding across 10 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.
$75K
proposed penalties
$64K
current assessed
$61K
paid to date
$3K
outstanding
203 assessments are final orders; 10 contested dockets.
Of $42K in penalties contested before the Commission, $31K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-11-03.
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.
20citations taken to the federal commission · 10% of citations on record
Settled
18 · 90%
Stood as issued
2 · 10%
76%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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%
26%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$42K proposed, $31K 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 2014-05-15.
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 S-20 Bevins Branch shows 100% of 151 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: 2014-06-05, 12 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
151
samples
1.42
dust max (mg/m3)
147 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 4 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.
S-20 Bevins Branch recorded 12.71 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.
12.71
total case rate
12.71
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 Kentucky, coal mining averaged 4.63 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 *
12.71
12.71
0.000
2013
1.64
1.64
0.000
2012
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011
0.00
0.00
0.000
2010 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2009 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2008 *
2.17
2.17
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)
2015
0
2014
18
113,556
2013
48
323,293
2012
56
374,477
2011
48
448,907
2010
10
74,636
2009
34
206,235
2008
45
415,725
2007
42
461,735
2006
76
650,074
2005
65
588,793
2004
57
510,341
2003
18
133,679
2002
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
S-20 Bevins Branch 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
Employee had accessed the drill deck and stepped on a cover to cross the drive train to reach the master switch to turn the drill on. When he stepped on the cover, it flipped over causing him to fall onto the deck of the drill.
April 24, 2014KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
Employee was loading shot material into rock trucks. He stated he was prying on a rock and the teeth on the loader bucket slipped off the rock causing the endloader to shake him. During the shift he began to experience pain in his right hip. His first day off work was 4/28/14.
March 18, 2014KY · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee and 2 other employee's were moving a water pump from a muddy area that had already been pumped down to another location. The pump weighed approximately 75 pounds but muddy conditions made moving the pump more difficult. Later that day employee began experiencing pain in his lower back and down his right leg. Employee became a lost time on 5/5/2014.
EE was preparing to weld a DM45 drill jack pad on the bottom of the jack. He was moving the pad closer to the drill when he felt pain in his lower back. EE continued to work until 4/17/13 when he sought medical attention for pain in his back and leg. The doctor took him off work until 4/24/13.
2012 · 2 incidents
July 30, 2012KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
CAM Mining LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
While changing a tire on a 785 rock truck finger were mashed between the lock ring and the bead seat of the wheel.
April 20, 2012KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee states "I was attempting to remove fan drive assembly from loader, and fan assembly would not come out. Removed channel holding assembly, still would not come out. Used come along to level assembly and removed last bolt with impact. I sit the impact and bolt down. After that I don't know exactly what happened. Fan assembly cut my thumb."