Mining Incidents

Stitt Mine: 104 MSHA citations Coal

Rosebud Mining Company · Underground
Controlled by J Clifford Forrest III
Kittanning, Armstrong County, PA  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 3608886

Stitt Mine has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
10
Years on record
2001–2006
Latest incident
May 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2001
104
citations
37
significant & substantial
$9,723
proposed penalties
$9,237
paid to date
95% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $486 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2001
93
inspections on record
2,342
inspection hours
4.4
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.
104 citations across 2,342 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Stitt Mine has $10K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 11 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.
$10K
proposed penalties
$9K
current assessed
$9K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
103 assessments are final orders; 11 contested dockets.
Of $2K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-07-13.
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.
35.9%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
36.9%
reasonably likely or greater
5.8%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 39.8% low, 60.2% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
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.
6 citations taken to the federal commission · 6% of citations on record
  • Settled 6 · 100%
100%
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 6 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$990 proposed, $690 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 2006-10-16.
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.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
PENN 2007-9 Settlement Feldman 2007 $330 → $230
PENN 2006-43 Settlement Melick 2006 $330 → $230
PENN 2003-181 Settlement Barbour 2003 $265 → $426
PENN20020161 Settlement Weisberger 2002 $226 → $141
PENN 2003-207 Settlement Barbour 2004 $226 → $113
PENN 2005-83 Settlement Melick 2005 $165 → $115
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Stitt Mine shows 99% of 344 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: 2006-07-13, 20 years ago
99%
within 1.5 mg/m3
344
samples
2.35
dust max (mg/m3)
149 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 195 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR174
  • MOBILE BRIDGE OPERATOR31
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)17

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2006-06-19, 20 years ago
5.8
silica avg (%)
50
samples
17.2
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR16

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: 2005-06-22, 21 years ago
30%
over PEL
30
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • ROOF BOLTER (SINGLE HEAD)10
  • MOBILE BRIDGE OPERATOR7
  • CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR6
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
2006 100% 41
2005 100% 63
2004 96% 77
2003 100% 79
2002 100% 61
2001 91% 23
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2006 6.3 8
2005 5.3 20
2004 4.9 7
2003 5.2 2
2002 7.1 10
2001 6.5 3
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2005 14% 7
2004 63% 8
2003 21% 14
2002 0% 1
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Stitt Mine recorded 11.25 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2005.

Injury rate, 2005
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.
11.25
total case rate
5.62
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.11 and the all-US-mining average was 4.21 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 5.95 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
2005 * 11.25 5.62 0.000
2004 * 6.10 0.00 0.000
2003 * 5.41 0.00 0.000
2002 * 9.46 4.73 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. Rosebud Mining Company 2000 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)
2006 15 159,146
2005 14 345,278
2004 13 337,946
2003 16 450,377
2002 19 458,287
2001 20 121,211
2000 0
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Stitt Mine sits in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 2.2% 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.
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania · Population 65,069
2.2%
Mining share of county employment
$64,295
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
2006 Q3 2,047 12 2 5862.2
2006 Q2 8,469 5 0 590.4
2006 Q1 10,446 9 3 861.6
2005 Q4 9,173 4 2 436.1
2005 Q3 8,817 5 2 567.1
2005 Q2 8,500 4 0 470.6
2005 Q1 9,070 10 4 1102.5
2004 Q4 8,656 7 1 808.7
Show 14 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2004 Q3 7,706 1 0 129.8
2004 Q2 8,206 2 1 243.7
2004 Q1 8,243 3 1 363.9
2003 Q4 7,493 2 0 266.9
2003 Q3 6,759 7 5 1035.7
2003 Q2 9,378 6 4 639.8
2003 Q1 13,342 3 2 224.9
2002 Q4 11,144 8 3 717.9
2002 Q3 10,740 3 2 279.3
2002 Q2 11,032 5 2 453.2
2002 Q1 9,364 1 0 106.8
2001 Q4 12,585 5 3 397.3
2001 Q3 2,400 1 0 416.7
2000 Q4 0 0 0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

10 on file

2006 · 2 incidents

May 25, 2006 PA · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rosebud Mining Company · Struck by falling object

Employee was removing rock from mobile bridge coal chain. The rock slipped and cut and crushed the employee's little finger on his left hand.

March 6, 2006 PA · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Rosebud Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

The roof fall occurred in the 1st south cast butt room #40 righside in second x cut from # 5 entry fall was approximately 30' long 20' wide and 4' to 5' high area was bolted with 4 & 3 bolts there was a gray slick & sided clay stone streak at top of roof fall.

2005 · 2 incidents

December 23, 2005 PA · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rosebud Mining Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE INJURED HIS BACK MOVING A WATER PUMP

March 17, 2005 PA · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rosebud Mining Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS PULLING LOW BELT STRUCTURE ON SIGHTS. STRAINED BACK; PHYSICIAN GAVE EMPLOYEE PRESCRIPTION.

2004 · 1 incident

November 15, 2004 PA · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Rosebud Mining Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS TIGHTENING A BOLT WITH A RATCHET & SOCKET. THE RATCHET SLIPPED STRIKING HIM IN THE MOUTH, CUTTING HIS LIP.

2003 · 1 incident

2002 · 2 incidents

October 30, 2002 PA · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Rosebud Mining Company · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

EMPLOYEE WAS DRILLING A ROOF BOLT HOLE USING A 24" STARTER STEEL WHEN THE (BIT/STEEL) CAUGHT HIS GLOVE AND CAUSED INJURY/ACCIDENT.

March 27, 2002 PA · Coal section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Rosebud Mining Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EE WAS PUSHING A BELT STARTER BOX INTO PLACE BY HAND.

2001 · 2 incidents

December 21, 2001 PA · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Rosebud Mining Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING DOWN SLOPE ROAD AND SLIPPED AND FELL ON PATCH OF ICE. EMPLOYEE DID NOT REPORT ACCIDENT UNTIL JAN 2, 2002.

September 28, 2001 PA · Coal MACHINERY
Rosebud Mining Company · Accident type, without injuries

#1 ENTRY OF MINE CUT THROUGH INTO 32" AUGER HOLEON LEFT RIB. AUGER HOLE WORK NUT PROPERLY PLOTTED ON MINE MAP. HOLE CONTAINED WATER, WHICH HAD TO BE PUMPED.