Mining Incidents

Thomas Mine: 19 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by John M Stilley
Creekside, Indiana County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3608723

Thomas Mine has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Thomas Mine.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
0
Years on record
Latest incident
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2003
19
citations
6
significant & substantial
$2,448
proposed penalties
$2,400
paid to date
98% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $48 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
39
inspections on record
539
inspection hours
n/a
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.
Rate withheld: 539 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Thomas Mine has $2K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 2 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.
$2K
proposed penalties
$2K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
19 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
Of $380 in penalties contested before the Commission, $332 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2013-10-30.
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.
31.6%
significant & substantial
5.3%
high negligence or reckless
31.6%
reasonably likely or greater
26.3%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 21.1% low, 73.7% moderate, 5.3% 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.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 11% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 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 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
13%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$380 proposed, $332 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 2013-06-13.
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 2012-226 Settlement Lesnick 2013 $190 → $190
PENN 2013-266 Settlement Harner 2014 $190 → $142
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Thomas Mine shows 100% of 70 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: 2013-11-04, 12 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
70
samples
1.07
dust max (mg/m3)
62 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 8 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE19
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR18
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER17

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2012-12-07, 13 years ago
12.1
silica avg (%)
3
samples
19.9
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1
  • COAL SHOVEL OPERATOR1
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1

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: 2013-10-30, 12 years ago
0%
over PEL
38
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE13
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR10
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER10
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
2013 100% 9
2012 100% 8
2011 100% 5
2010 100% 5
2009 100% 5
2005 100% 8
2004 100% 15
2003 100% 15
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2012 6.8 1
2004 19.9 1
2003 9.7 1
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2013 0% 4
2012 0% 5
2011 0% 5
2010 0% 5
2009 0% 5
2005 0% 5
2004 0% 3
2003 0% 6
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Thomas Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2012.

Injury rate, 2012
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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
No reportable injury cases in any year shown. Employee-hours were reported in each of those years, so these are true zeros rather than missing data. Citations, listed in the compliance record above, are inspector-found violations and are counted separately from worker injuries.
Below average. The US coal mining average was 3.74 and the all-US-mining average was 2.96 cases per 100 workers.
In Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 4.43 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
2012 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2011 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2010 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2004 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2003 * 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.
Ownership history
  1. Amerikohl Mining, Inc 1998 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)
2015 2
2014 13
2013 13 38,569
2012 10 113,789
2011 11 18,751
2010 16 76,449
2009 17 22,145
2005 15 68,055
2004 16 100,881
2003 9 151,862
2002 9 14,095
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Thomas 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
2015 Q3 64 0 0 0.0
2015 Q2 60 0 0 0.0
2015 Q1 146 0 0 0.0
2014 Q4 405 0 0 0.0
2014 Q3 1,356 0 0 0.0
2014 Q2 1,886 0 0 0.0
2014 Q1 2,513 0 0 0.0
2013 Q4 5,251 0 0 0.0
Show 29 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2013 Q3 5,592 0 0 0.0
2013 Q2 3,294 2 1 607.2
2013 Q1 5,086 0 0 0.0
2012 Q4 5,267 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 5,915 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 4,325 1 0 231.2
2012 Q1 7,947 1 1 125.8
2011 Q4 7,003 2 1 285.6
2011 Q3 4,445 0 0 0.0
2011 Q2 4,320 0 0 0.0
2011 Q1 4,320 0 0 0.0
2010 Q4 4,543 0 0 0.0
2010 Q3 5,873 0 0 0.0
2010 Q2 9,934 0 0 0.0
2010 Q1 8,357 0 0 0.0
2009 Q4 9,017 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 5,094 1 0 196.3
2005 Q3 6,677 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 7,828 5 0 638.7
2005 Q1 7,024 2 0 284.7
2004 Q4 10,232 0 0 0.0
2004 Q3 9,409 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 4,948 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 7,635 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 5,170 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 4,518 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 6,393 1 1 156.4
2003 Q1 4,512 2 1 443.3
2002 Q4 1,219 0 0 0.0

No reportable incidents on file.

MSHA has no recorded reportable accidents for this mine in the current dataset. New reports appear here within a week of being filed.