Mining Incidents

Sang Branch: 30 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Thomas R Hamilton
Big Laurel, Harlan County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518178

Sang Branch has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Sang Branch.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2002–2003
Latest incident
Mar 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
30
citations
11
significant & substantial
$2,811
proposed penalties
$2,811
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
18
inspections on record
213
inspection hours
n/a
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.
Rate withheld: 213 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Sang Branch has $3K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 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.
$3K
proposed penalties
$3K
current assessed
$3K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
30 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-03-12.
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.
36.7%
significant & substantial
3.3%
high negligence or reckless
36.7%
reasonably likely or greater
6.7%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 0.0% low, 96.7% moderate, 3.3% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Sang Branch shows 100% of 20 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: 2003-05-30, 23 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
20
samples
0.65
dust max (mg/m3)
17 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 3 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR7
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER6
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-02-14, 24 years ago
19.4
silica avg (%)
3
samples
29.3
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1

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.

Last sampled: 2003-05-08, 23 years ago
0%
over PEL
7
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR3
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE2
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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.
Year within 1.5 mg/m3 samples
2003 100% 6
2002 100% 14
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2003 0% 3
2002 0% 4
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Sang Branch recorded 11.47 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2002.

Injury rate, 2002
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.
11.47
total case rate
11.47
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 6.89 and the all-US-mining average was 5.05 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 8.22 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
2002 * 11.47 11.47 0.000
2000 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Nally & Hamilton Enterprises Inc 1999 to present
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)
2003 23 59,363
2002 17 146,813
2001 14 34,817
2000 8 46,831
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Sang Branch sits in Harlan County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 4.3% 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.
Harlan County, Kentucky · Population 26,185
4.3%
Mining share of county employment
$37,198
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
2003 Q2 10,444 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 15,448 9 1 582.6
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 588 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 15,850 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 18,424 7 3 379.9
2001 Q4 7,843 0 0 0.0
2001 Q1 0 0 0
Show 4 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2000 Q4 0 0 0
2000 Q3 0 0 0
2000 Q2 0 0 0
2000 Q1 23,880 13 6 544.4
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2003 · 3 incidents

March 26, 2003 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Nally & Hamilton Enterprises Inc · Struck against a moving object

EE STARTED FORWARD WITH DOZER, THE DOZER SLIPPEDOUT OF GEAR, THE EE HIT THE BRAKES CAUSING HIM TO HIT HIS HEAD ON THE CAB OF THE DOZER NOTE: EE RECEIVED 9 STITCHES IN HIS HEAD.

March 24, 2003 KY · Coal greaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oiler HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Nally & Hamilton Enterprises Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS GETTING OFF A DOZER WHEN HIS FOOT CAUGHT ON THE PUSH ARM CAUSING HIM TO TWIST HIS KNEE.

2002 · 2 incidents

March 4, 2002 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Nally & Hamilton Enterprises Inc · Struck against a moving object

EE BACKED OVER A ROCK AND WHEN THE DOZER HIT, THE EE COMPALINED OF PAIN IN NECK AND BACK.