Mining Incidents

Slones Branch Coal

KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Underground
Pippa Passes, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1519323

Slones Branch has $73K in proposed MSHA penalties and $969 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
18
Years on record
2009–2013
Latest incident
Sep 2013
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2008
378
citations
64
significant & substantial
$72,776
proposed penalties
$70,788
paid to date
97% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,988 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2008
68
inspections on record
4,027
inspection hours
9.4
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.
378 citations across 4,027 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Slones Branch has $73K in proposed MSHA penalties and $969 outstanding across 3 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.
$73K
proposed penalties
$72K
current assessed
$71K
paid to date
$969
outstanding
371 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2013-04-08.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Slones Branch shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.56 mg/m3 (95% compliant) across 419 samples.

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.
0.56
dust avg (mg/m3)
5.63
dust max (mg/m3)
95%
within 1.5 mg/m3
419
samples
Most recent sample: 2012-06-20.
Silica (quartz)
6.0
silica avg (%)
15.7
silica max (%)
29
samples
Most recent sample: 2012-05-11.
Noise
2%
over PEL
47
samples
Most recent sample: 2012-06-20.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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
2013 Q2 0 1 0
2013 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 3,299 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 6,470 2 1 309.1
2012 Q2 27,572 13 0 471.5
2012 Q1 31,583 36 5 1139.9
2011 Q4 40,747 35 5 859.0
2011 Q3 47,526 20 7 420.8
Show 11 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2011 Q2 49,564 26 2 524.6
2011 Q1 50,702 28 6 552.2
2010 Q4 46,714 21 1 449.5
2010 Q3 45,270 42 7 927.8
2010 Q2 41,164 21 2 510.2
2010 Q1 40,880 39 7 954.0
2009 Q4 37,145 24 7 646.1
2009 Q3 38,857 21 3 540.4
2009 Q2 36,376 23 0 632.3
2009 Q1 13,739 25 11 1819.6
2008 Q4 1,172 1 0 853.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

18 on file

2013 · 1 incident

September 4, 2013 KY · Coal outside foreman, leadman POWERED HAULAGE
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was adjusting the forks on a skidsteer unit to be able to pick up scrap. As he reached between the backing plate and the mast to unlock pin holding forks in place the operator tilted the forks back pinning his arm between backing plate and the mast. Employee ended up with a slight fracture and some minor muscle damage on left forearm.

2012 · 1 incident

June 20, 2012 KY · Coal utility man, errand boy, service truck operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck against stationary object

Roof strap was broke hanging down, principal was bending strap back and forth trying to break it off when he hit his right arm on the other end of the strap causing a laceration requiring 8 sutures.

2011 · 4 incidents

December 14, 2011 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) NONPOWERED HAULAGE
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Principal was unhooking utility trailer when the hitch came up with his right hand on top of the hitch hitting the mine roof cutting index finger, he had 5 sutures in his index finger.

August 31, 2011 KY · Coal electrician, lineman FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck by falling object

While traveling the intake on a mine buggy to work on the tracking system a piece of draw rock fell striking him.

August 13, 2011 KY · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss POWERED HAULAGE
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck against a moving object

While driving a mine buggy the wheel of the buggy caught a rock, thus spinning the steering wheel which caught employee's left hand. This resulted in a laceration to his left hand requiring stitches.

June 28, 2011 KY · Coal electrician, lineman STRIKING OR BUMPING
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck against stationary object

EE was walking around the head of the continuous miner when he hit his hard hat on a torque tension roof bolt, thus knocking his hard hat off of his head. He replaced the hard hat on his head and went back to work. He continued to work up until his doctor took him off work on 07/29/2011.

2010 · 6 incidents

September 28, 2010 KY · Coal utility man, errand boy, service truck operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Taking a metal bar out of the center of a 1000 roll of belt, as the bar was being let down the bar fell on his middle finger on his left hand. This resulted in a fracture of the end of that finger.

September 10, 2010 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Had loaded a continuous miner on the lowboy, while taking the block off the stand, EE tripped the stand release and the stand came up and caught another ee left hand between frame and stand.

July 30, 2010 KY · Coal utility man, errand boy, service truck operator HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE was loading conveyor belt on a belt car and was using clamp (rope dog) to pull on the belt. The clamp slipped off the belt, causing an injury to his left shoulder. Possible rotary cup damage to shoulder. He started missing work from this incident 09/07/2010.

July 13, 2010 KY · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator STEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck against stationary object

Employee kneeled down and hit his right knee on a rock, which twisted his knee. He said he felt something pop in his knee and pain in the left side of his right knee. He continued to work the rest of the shift. He has continued to work up till 7/29/10 and was taken off work after the MRI showed a torn meniscus in his right knee.

June 4, 2010 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Drill steel got stuck in top while drilling hole, trying to spin the drill steel down, when the head went up and caught hand between steel and the top. Had five stitches in right thumb.

January 13, 2010 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator POWERED HAULAGE
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck by falling object

In #5 entry at spad #839 EE was pulling a loose piece of rock off the right corner. The rock come down and pulled the hung miner cable down onto his head, causing pain in lower back.

2009 · 6 incidents

December 11, 2009 KY · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss STRIKING OR BUMPING
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Struck against stationary object

Hit right knee against belt rail while taking structure apart on old #3 belt.

October 8, 2009 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Accident type, without injuries

A non-injury roof fall was found on the right return of the 002-MMU at survey spad # 507 at the #8 right crosscut and extending to the #4 entry to survey spad #504 above the anchorage of the 5 foot fully grouted resin rods used for primary sopport.

September 15, 2009 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Accident type, without injuries

Pressure on roof and floor was causing the roof to sag and bottom to hoove up in the area. Dangered off the area and allowed an intentional roof fall to occur to relieve the pressure off the adjacent entries and crosscuts. The intentional roof fall was 80' inby spad 455 and was approx 120' long and 19.5' wide.

July 22, 2009 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Drill steel stopped up, he was knocking it against the drill pot to get dust out and caught his index finger between the pot and drill steel.

May 4, 2009 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
KNOTT COUNTY COAL LLC · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

While moving from the first bolt to the second bolt in the #1 heading, Injury twisted his right knee he complained of pain but continued to work the rest of the shift. Did not start missing work till 8/12/2009 Having knee surgery.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

The full compliance file on Slones Branch

A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.