American Mining West LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
While pushing golf cart the steering wheel turned at a high rate of speed hitting employee's finger.
Sunrise Mine: 222 MSHA citations Coal
American Mining & Manufacturing of Kentucky LLC
· Underground
Controlled by
Timothy P Smith
Nortonville,
Hopkins County,
KY
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1518707
Sunrise Mine has $23K in proposed MSHA penalties and $19K outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 26
- Years on record
- 2004–2006
- Latest incident
- Feb 2006
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
222
citations
38
significant & substantial
$22,754
proposed penalties
$4,108
paid to date
18% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $18,646 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2004
27
inspections on record
2,410
inspection hours
9.2
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.222 citations across 2,410 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Sunrise Mine has $23K in proposed MSHA penalties and $19K 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.$23K
proposed penalties
$23K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$19K
outstanding
208 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-03-13.
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.18.2%
significant & substantial
9.6%
high negligence or reckless
18.2%
reasonably likely or greater
8.1%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 5.3% low, 85.2% moderate, 9.6% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
MSHA sampling at Sunrise Mine shows 82% of 147 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: 2006-06-26, 20 years ago
ⓘ
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.82%
within 1.5 mg/m3
147
samples
4.85
dust max (mg/m3)
78 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 69 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR68
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)16
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (RETURN SIDE)13
Silica (quartz)
Last sampled: 2006-04-28, 20 years ago2.6
silica avg (%)
10
samples
5.7
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR5
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: 2004-11-08, 21 years ago
ⓘ
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.11%
over PEL
18
samples
Most-sampled occupations
- SHUTTLE CAR OPERATOR (STANDARD SIDE)5
- CONTINUOUS MINER OPERATOR4
- ROOF BOLTER (TWIN HEAD) (INTAKE SIDE)3
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 | 72% | 32 |
| 2005 | 84% | 64 |
| 2004 | 86% | 51 |
Silica (quartz) by year
| Year | silica avg (%) | samples |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1.8 | 2 |
| 2005 | 2.8 | 8 |
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Sunrise Mine recorded 10.91 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.
Injury rate, 2006
ⓘ
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.10.91
total case rate
8.72
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 4.87 and the all-US-mining average was 3.91 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 5.96 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 * | 10.91 | 8.72 | 0.000 |
| 2005 | 10.50 | 10.50 | 0.000 |
| 2004 * | 13.32 | 13.32 | 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.
Ownership history
- Charolais Coal No 1 LLC 2004 to 2005
- American Mining West LLC 2005 to 2006
- American Mining & Manufacturing of Kentucky LLC 2006 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 52 | 69,777 |
| 2005 | 70 | 184,696 |
| 2004 | 34 | 146,710 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Sunrise Mine sits in Hopkins County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.7% 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.Hopkins County, Kentucky · Population 45,143
2.7%
Mining share of county employment
$57,610
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Q1 | 2,334 | 11 | 0 | 4712.9 |
| 2006 Q4 | 4,945 | 4 | 0 | 808.9 |
| 2006 Q3 | 11,430 | 12 | 1 | 1049.9 |
| 2006 Q2 | 39,316 | 81 | 21 | 2060.2 |
| 2006 Q1 | 36,003 | 50 | 6 | 1388.8 |
| 2005 Q4 | 20,721 | 7 | 2 | 337.8 |
| 2005 Q3 | 28,318 | 11 | 1 | 388.4 |
| 2005 Q2 | 37,646 | 7 | 1 | 185.9 |
Show 5 earlier quarters Hide earlier quarters
| Quarter | Hours worked | Citations | S&S | Per 1M hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Q1 | 27,549 | 17 | 5 | 617.1 |
| 2004 Q4 | 26,441 | 3 | 0 | 113.5 |
| 2004 Q3 | 18,886 | 3 | 0 | 158.8 |
| 2004 Q2 | 13,207 | 16 | 1 | 1211.5 |
| 2004 Q1 | 1,526 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
26 on file2006 · 5 incidents
American Mining West LLC · Fall from machine
Injured party was getting out of the Frontend/Forklift Loader in the pit when he got to the bottom step his foot slipped and he fell to the ground landing on his feet straining his neck.
January 17, 2006
KY · Coal
assayer, geologist, metallurgist, engineer, engineer management
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
American Mining West LLC · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Injured party was standing in mud and water about a foot deep trying to hookup a supply trailor when a prop was shoved against the injured party left ankle.
American Mining West LLC · Fall to the walkway or working surface
Injured party got off of mantrip and was standing in mud when he tried to make a step. His feet stuck in the mud and he fell backwards straining his lower back.
January 4, 2006
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
American Mining West LLC · Struck by falling object
INJURED PARTY WAS ROOF BOLTING IN THE #3 ENTRY WHEN A PIECE OF ROCK FELL OUT OF THE MINE ROOF STRIKING HIM ON TOP OF HIS RT. ANKLE, BREAKING HIS LEG. HE WAS UNDER THE CANOPY ON THE ROOF BOLTER BUT HIS LEG WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OUT FROM UNDER THE CANOPY WHEN THE ROCK FELL. THE ROCK WAS ABOUT 3"THICK, 1 & 1/2'LONG & 1 & 1/2'WIDE.
2005 · 16 incidents
December 20, 2005
KY · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
American Mining West LLC · Over-exertion in lifting objects
Injured party had picked up the 4" water line at the unit tailpiece to put on a fire drop when he felt a pain in his lower back.
American Mining West LLC · Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects
Injured party tried to throw a 5 gallon can of oil over the unit belt when he twisted his left hip and knee.
American Mining West LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL WAS FOUND ON 2ND SHIFT BY THE OUTBY MINE FOREMAN IN THE SOUTHEAST ENTRIES. SPAD # 2+70 IN THE X-CUT BETWEEN #4 & #5 ENTRIES. THE FALL WAS 4'HIGH X 17'WIDE X 35'LONG. IT WILL NOT BE CLEANED UP. 48"DOUBLE LOCK ROOF BOLTS WERE USED IN THE AREA.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A roof fall was found on the 11-4-05 in the #6 entry the southeast mains at spad #26 & 35. Fall was 4' high, 18' wide, 40' long. 48" fully grouted roof bolts were used in this area.
July 19, 2005
KY · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
POWERED HAULAGE
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Struck against stationary object
Injured party was driving a mantrip when he hit a hole in the roadway causing him to strike his head against the mine roof.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL WAS FOUND AROUND 6:05AM THE 11TH IN THE #8 ENTRY OF THE MAIN SOUTHEAST ENTRIES AT SPAD #0190 BY THE PRESHIFTER. THE FALL WAS 20' WIDE, 60' LONG AND 48" HIGH. DOUBLE LOCK 48" BOLTS WERE USED IN THIS AREA. THIS WILL NOT BE CLEANED UP
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A roof fall was found in the main south supply road #5 entry between spad #31 + 50 & spad #31 + 95. The fall was 4' or 5' high, 18' wide & 40' long. 4' double lock roof bolts were used in this area.
May 31, 2005
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
MACHINERY
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Struck by falling object
EE WAS ROOF BOLTING. WHEN HE SET HIS BOLTER UP TO PUT UP A ROOF BOLT AND AS HE PUSHED THE ROOF BOLT UP AGAINST THE ROOF, A PIECE OF ROCK BUSTED UNDERNEATH THE BOLTER. THIS CAUSED THE BOLTER TO DROP DOWN 4-5", STRIKING THE EE ON THE HEAD WITH THE CANOPY.
May 26, 2005
KY · Coal
laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler
POWERED HAULAGE
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Injured party was beside the scoop where he had been loading blocks into the scoop bucket. He had his right hand lying up on the scoop bucket behind the stinger when the operator shut scoop off & accidently hit the lever with his knee getting out of scoop. The scoop bucket came back & caught the ring finger on the right hand at the end of the finger.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A roof fell was found on the 5-21-05 around 2:15 pm at spad #21 & 40 in the southeast mains int he #6 neutral entry. the fall was 4' high 60' long & 18' wide. 48" fully grouted roof bolts were used int his area.
May 19, 2005
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
POWERED HAULAGE
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Struck by powered moving object
Injured party accidently had his right foot under the scoop bucket when the scoopman let the bucket down on top of it.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A roof fall was found on 5-16-05 around 9:45 pm at spad 18 and 10 in the southeast mains in the #8 and #9 entry. The fall was 5' high, 18' wide and 70' long. 48" fully grouted roof bolts were used in this area.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL OCCURRED IN THE #3 ENTRY IN THE SE MAIN ENTRIES STARTING AT SPAD #3+15 TO 4+05. THE FALL WAS 100'L X 18'W X 5'H. 48" DOUBLE LOCK BOLTS WERE USED IN THIS AREA.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL OCCURRED IN THE #8 ENTRY OF THE MAIN SE ENTRIES AT SPAD #1+80. THE FALL WAS 40'L X 18'W X 6'H. 48" DOUBLE LOCK BOLTS WERE USED IN THIS AREA.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL WAS FOUND BY THE 3RD SHIFT PRESHIFTER ON HIS PRESHIFT. THE ROOF FALL WAS IN THE #5 ENTRY ON THE MAIN SOUTH ENTRIES AT SPAD #35+10 TO 35+55. THE FALL WAS 40'L X 17'W X 5'THICK. 5' DOUBLE LOCK ROOF BOLTS WERE USED IN THIS AREA.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL OCCURRED IN THE #2 & #3 ENTRY, STARTING AT SPAD #32+85 IN THE #2 ENTRY FALLING OVER TO #3 ENTRY IN THE MAIN SOUTH ENTRIES. THE ROOF FALL WAS 17-4'WIDE, 68'LONG & 4-8'HIGH. FELL AGAIN ANOTHER 67'LONG. 48"DOUBLE LOCK ROOF BOLTS WERE USED IN THIS AREA.
2004 · 5 incidents
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Accident type, without injuries
A ROOF FALL OCCURRED AROUND 2AM IN THE #4 ENTRY IN THE MAIN SOUTH ENTRIES AT SPAD STATION #18+90. ROOF FALL WAS 40'LONG, 17-45'WIDE IN INTERSECTION 1'TO 8'HIGH. 48" DOUBLE LOCK ROOF BOLTS WERE USED IN THIS AREA.
October 21, 2004
KY · Coal
roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)
HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects
EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING MINER CABLE. WHILE PULLING ON CABLE FELT PAIN IN ABDOMEN. (HERNIA)
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Over-exertion in lifting objects
Employee was helping lift rub rail on EIMCO Miner strain lower back.
July 30, 2004
KY · Coal
bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss
FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Struck by falling object
EMPLOYEE WAS OBSERVING MINER IN #3 ENTRY SOUTH, #3 XCUT. A PIECE OF ROCK FELL FROM BETWEEN PINS, STRUCK EMPLOYEE ON HAND AND RIGHT SHOULDER - JAMMED NECK - ABRASIONS & BRUISED RIGHT SHOULDER.
Charolais Coal No 1 LLC · Over-exertion in lifting objects
EE GOT OFF CAR, LAID MINER CABLE OUT OF ROADWAY, BACK ONTO CAR & DROVE TO FEEDER. WHEN HE TURNED AROUND ON CAR SEAT, FELT PAIN IN LOWER BACK.