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Sassafras 10: 37 MSHA citations Coal

Gemco Energies Inc · Underground
Controlled by Jimmy W Tackett
Sassafras, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518446

Sassafras 10 has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
8
Years on record
2002
Latest incident
Jul 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
37
citations
9
significant & substantial
$2,239
proposed penalties
$2,239
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Gemco Energies Inc's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
22
inspections on record
475
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: 475 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Sassafras 10 has $2K 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
32 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-07-17.
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.
27.3%
significant & substantial
3.1%
high negligence or reckless
62.5%
reasonably likely or greater
18.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 0.0% low, 96.9% moderate, 3.1% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Sassafras 10 shows 88% of 51 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: 2002-06-27, 24 years ago
88%
within 1.5 mg/m3
51
samples
3.28
dust max (mg/m3)
29 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 22 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR22
  • SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)5
  • ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)4

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2002-05-17, 24 years ago
4.3
silica avg (%)
6
samples
5.8
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR4
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.
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
2002 84% 37
2001 100% 14
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2002 4.8 4
2001 3.2 2
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Sassafras 10 recorded 25.61 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.
25.61
total case rate
19.21
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.
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. Gemco Energies Inc 2001 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)
2002 18 58,502
2001 23 30,744
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Sassafras 10 sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 3,094 2 1 646.4
2002 Q2 16,537 8 2 483.8
2002 Q1 11,605 15 4 1292.5
2001 Q4 9,835 9 1 915.1
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

8 on file

2002 · 8 incidents

July 18, 2002 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Gemco Energies Inc · Accident type, without injuries

SOFT TOP 4'BOLTS & CHANGE OF WEATHER CONTRIBUTED TO THE FALL. IT IS NOT FEASIBLE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION TO CONTINUE MINING. BRINGING EQUIPMENT TO THE OUTSIDE.

July 16, 2002 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Gemco Energies Inc · Accident type, without injuries

THE FALL WAS IN THE INTAKE- #6 ENTRY, 15 BREAKS INSIDE SOFT SHELL TOP 4' BOLT & MOISTURE IN THE TOP CONTRIBUTED TO THE FALL. NO ONE WAS INJURED & VENTILATION WAS NOT AFFECTED. THE AREA WAS CRI BBED & ROADWAY WAS MOVED.

July 10, 2002 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Gemco Energies Inc · Struck by falling object

EE WAS SCALING TOP AND PUTTING HEADER ON ROADWAY, WHEN A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL ON HIS HEAD.

June 14, 2002 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Gemco Energies Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE LET POT DOWN ON LEG CAUSING CONTUSION TO KNEE

April 12, 2002 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Gemco Energies Inc · Struck by falling object

EE PUT HIS BOLTER STEEL AGAINST THE TOP AND A PIECE OF DRAWROCK FELL IN HIS RIGHT HAND.

March 15, 2002 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator POWERED HAULAGE
Gemco Energies Inc · Struck by flying object

EMPLOYEE HIT RIB WITH HAULAGE CAR; PIECE OF COAL HIT HIM IN THE LEFT EYE.