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.
127 citations across 3,918 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: 2013-12-04.
On record since 2013.
Source: MSHA imminent-danger order records, updated weekly.
Starford Mine has $36K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 19 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.
$36K
proposed penalties
$29K
current assessed
$29K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
121 assessments are final orders; 19 contested dockets.
Of $29K in penalties contested before the Commission, $19K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-07-29.
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.
35citations taken to the federal commission · 28% of citations on record
Settled
34 · 97%
Vacated or withdrawn
1 · 3%
67%
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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 33 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
35%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$29K proposed, $19K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2015-03-04.
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 Starford Mine shows 100% of 200 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: 2016-06-07, 10 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
200
samples
1.52
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.
123 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 77 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.
Starford Mine reported liberating 0 metric tons of methane to EPA in 2015.
Methane emissions (EPA-reported)
ⓘMethane figures are what the operator reported to EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (subpart FF), collected at facility level. Only EPA facilities that resolve to a single MSHA mine record are shown, and the CO2-equivalent applies the GWP-25 factor EPA's published data uses.
Starford Mine recorded 3.25 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.
3.25
total case rate
3.25
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.96 and the all-US-mining average was 2.93 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 5.34 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 *
3.25
3.25
0.000
2013 *
19.27
0.00
0.000
2012 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2011 *
3.32
3.32
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)
2018
0
2017
0
2016
0
2015
2
2014
24
60,095
2013
14
34,491
2012
16
72,600
2011
29
93,393
2010
0
2009
1
2,256
2008
0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Starford Mine sits in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 2.4% 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.
Indiana County, Pennsylvania · Population 83,213
2.4%
Mining share of county employment
$58,739
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
2018 Q1
0
0
0
2017 Q4
0
0
0
2017 Q3
0
0
0
2017 Q2
0
0
0
2017 Q1
0
0
0
2016 Q4
0
0
0
2016 Q3
0
0
0
2016 Q2
0
0
0
Show 28 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2015 Q4
0
0
0
2015 Q2
468
0
0
0.0
2015 Q1
1,443
0
0
0.0
2014 Q4
13,820
4
1
289.4
2014 Q3
20,498
14
3
683.0
2014 Q2
11,603
4
1
344.7
2014 Q1
15,640
13
5
831.2
2013 Q4
14,741
15
5
1017.6
2013 Q3
3,542
4
0
1129.3
2013 Q2
1,328
2
1
1506.0
2013 Q1
1,142
0
0
0.0
2012 Q4
1,743
0
0
0.0
2012 Q3
2,640
2
0
757.6
2012 Q2
6,583
12
1
1822.9
2012 Q1
22,381
7
0
312.8
2011 Q4
21,046
8
1
380.1
2011 Q3
20,604
17
6
825.1
2011 Q2
17,006
11
3
646.8
2011 Q1
1,592
4
0
2512.6
2010 Q4
0
0
0
2010 Q3
0
0
0
2010 Q2
0
0
0
2009 Q4
0
0
0
2009 Q3
0
0
0
2009 Q2
0
0
0
2009 Q1
80
0
0
0.0
2008 Q4
0
0
0
2008 Q3
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
11 on file
2016 · 2 incidents
March 28, 2016PA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorOTHER
The employee was fueling EE's loader at the end of the shift. It was very windy and dust was blowing off the loader. EE apparently had some of the dirt blown into EE's eye. The dirt and rust particles were removed by an eye doctor. There was no permanent damage to EE's eye.
January 14, 2016PA · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The loader operator was getting off the CAT 992G loader at the end of the shift. EE stepped off the counter weight of the machine with EE's right foot onto a level berm. EE stepped onto a piece of #3 stone causing EE's ankle to roll and EE fell to the ground. EE was diagnosed with a sprained ankle.