SHM 27 Highwall Miner has $103K in proposed MSHA penalties and $28K outstanding across 9 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at SHM 27 Highwall Miner.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
17
Years on record
2004–2025
Latest incident
Apr 2025
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
124
citations
48
significant & substantial
$103,492
proposed penalties
$47,156
paid to date
46% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $56,336 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.
124 citations across 1,501 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Imminent-danger orders
ⓘA Section 107(a) order removes miners from an area when an inspector finds an imminent danger. Each order is lifted once the condition is corrected, so this counts orders issued, not orders now in effect.
1
Section 107(a) orders
Most recent order: 2015-04-30.
On record since 2015.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
SHM 27 Highwall Miner has $103K in proposed MSHA penalties and $28K outstanding across 9 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.
$103K
proposed penalties
$75K
current assessed
$47K
paid to date
$28K
outstanding
117 assessments are final orders; 9 contested dockets.
Of $51K in penalties contested before the Commission, $20K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2026-02-25.
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.
24citations taken to the federal commission · 19% of citations on record
Settled
20 · 83%
Vacated or withdrawn
2 · 8%
Still open
2 · 8%
92%
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 13 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
61%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$51K proposed, $20K 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 2026-04-23.
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 SHM 27 Highwall Miner shows 99% of 93 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: 2025-06-26
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
93
samples
1.82
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.
93 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
AUGER OPERATOR23
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER21
FORKLIFT OPERATOR14
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.
SHM 27 Highwall Miner recorded 9.98 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024.
Injury rate, 2024
ⓘ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.
9.98
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.16 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.51 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
2024 *
9.98
0.00
0.000
2011 *
14.81
0.00
0.000
2010 *
5.75
0.00
0.000
2009 *
11.66
5.83
0.000
2008 *
11.24
5.62
0.000
2007 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2006 *
5.17
0.00
0.000
2005 *
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)
2026
5
28,509
2025
7
92,353
2024
9
104,646
2023
6
92,993
2016
1
880
2015
9
91,009
2014
7
49,473
2013
2
17,189
2012
9
77,390
2011
19
158,159
2010
16
217,192
2009
16
281,134
2008
16
273,981
2007
16
428,341
2006
18
390,900
2005
14
535,375
2004
14
286,480
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
SHM 27 Highwall Miner sits in Wyoming County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Wyoming County, West Virginia · Population 20,948
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$48,038
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
After trouble shooting a fault issue, crew exited base frame of the highwall miner utilizing the right rear ladder below the BPM. Injured was the last one down, as they stepped to the ground right ankle rolled causing them to fall. EE was transported personal vehicle to Regional Hospital Emergency Department. EE is advised to follow up with an orthopedic specialist.
EE was repairing the conveyor roller head. EE was using a pry bar to roll the head over, the pry bar dislodged causing EE to fall and strike EE's left thumb on the conveyor guard. EE received 7 sutures at Logan Regional Medical Center and returned to work.
On 11/3/2015 EE reported to Supervisor, that appx a week ago he hurt his right shoulder while removing a pin from the steering jack on the highwall miner with a slate bar. He didn't think he was hurt at the time but has experienced pain since the incident
October 28, 2015WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee reported to Supervisor on 11/4/2015 that he had hit his shin with a 20lb. sledge hammer while securing locking pins in push beams of highwall miner.
Employee was pulling a pin from the cutter chain, using a chain hoist. The hook on the end of the chain hoist broke, flew and struck employee's left wrist, causing a fracture.
June 12, 2011WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Employee was using a torch to cut steel plate. When he removed the piece and set it down, it shifted and struck his left forearm, causing a 2nd degree burn.
Employee was striking the cog on the tailpiece with a hammer when a piece of the cog broke off, striking employee in the left forearm, resulting in a piece of metal embedded in the forearm, not removed, but the wound closed with sutures.
2010 · 1 incident
December 27, 2010WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Employee was loosening a bolt on the highwall miner when his wrench slipped, striking him in the mouth. This resulted in chipping one tooth and breaking another tooth. The broken tooth required extraction by a dentist.
Employee was attempting to hit a punch with a 3# sledge hammer, in order to repair the handle on another sledge hammer by driving out the wedge. Employee missed the punch & struck his left hand.
May 16, 2009WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanMACHINERY
Employee was drilling an anchor hole with hand-held auger. The auger was bent and caused the employee's hand to be caught between drill and anchor pin, injuring his left middle finger.
While working on the highwall miner, employee was struck in the back by a rock that fell from the highwall. He then struck his his knee on the cutter head.
December 14, 2004WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS