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.
266 citations across 4,936 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Tilley has $69K in proposed MSHA penalties and $601 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.
$69K
proposed penalties
$68K
current assessed
$68K
paid to date
$601
outstanding
260 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $3K in penalties contested before the Commission, $2K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2025-01-23.
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.
9citations taken to the federal commission · 3% of citations on record
Settled
9 · 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 Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.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 8 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
30%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$3K proposed, $2K 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 A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record.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 2018-04-26.
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 Tilley shows 100% of 1,665 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: 2020-12-17, 5 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
1,665
samples
6.58
dust max (mg/m3)
2
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.
199 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 1,466 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.
Tilley recorded 8.11 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2020.
Injury rate, 2020
ⓘ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.
8.11
total case rate
5.41
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 3.19 and the all-US-mining average was 2.08 cases per 100 workers.
In Virginia, coal mining averaged 3.71 cases per 100 workers that year.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2020
8.11
5.41
0.000
2019
3.50
2.33
0.000
2018
8.91
7.42
0.000
2017 *
5.66
5.66
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)
2026
0
2025
0
2024
0
2023
0
2022
0
2021
2
123
2020
63
219,237
2019
71
214,263
2018
55
165,262
2017
15
33,855
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Tilley sits in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the Census mining category is 11.2% 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.
Buchanan County, Virginia · Population 19,857
11.2%
Mining share of county employment
$42,216
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
2026 Q2
0
0
0
2026 Q1
0
0
0
2025 Q4
0
0
0
2025 Q3
0
0
0
2025 Q2
0
0
0
2025 Q1
0
1
0
2024 Q4
0
0
0
2024 Q3
0
0
0
Show 30 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2024 Q2
0
0
0
2024 Q1
0
0
0
2023 Q4
0
0
0
2023 Q3
0
0
0
2023 Q2
0
0
0
2023 Q1
0
4
0
2022 Q4
0
0
0
2022 Q3
0
0
0
2022 Q2
0
0
0
2022 Q1
0
0
0
2021 Q4
0
1
0
2021 Q3
0
0
0
2021 Q2
0
0
0
2021 Q1
3,816
2
1
524.1
2020 Q4
33,222
16
5
481.6
2020 Q3
39,577
20
1
505.3
2020 Q2
35,518
18
1
506.8
2020 Q1
39,655
14
0
353.0
2019 Q4
41,295
12
1
290.6
2019 Q3
41,433
17
0
410.3
2019 Q2
42,547
14
2
329.0
2019 Q1
46,142
7
0
151.7
2018 Q4
40,200
6
0
149.3
2018 Q3
38,184
13
4
340.5
2018 Q2
38,385
11
1
286.6
2018 Q1
17,967
17
3
946.2
2017 Q4
9,535
8
0
839.0
2017 Q3
10,992
44
14
4002.9
2017 Q2
9,926
19
7
1914.2
2017 Q1
4,889
11
4
2249.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
19 on file
2020 · 7 incidents
December 2, 2020VA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
An employee's left hand was caught between the dual head operator side drill boom and boom jack cradle. The employee had hand on the drill boom when it was raised. This resulted in a surgery that required removing left 4th and 5th fingers.
An offside roof bolter operator was injured while attempting to remotely extend EE's ATRS Pad out. While positioned to extend EE's ATRS pad out manually, a piece of draw rock fell on the operator side ATRS causing the offside of the ATRS to raise and strike the offside employee in the face area. This resulted in a concussion and damage to teeth.
August 7, 2020VA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)MACHINERY
The employee received a laceration to EE's left arm when it slid across the sharp edge of a 54" X 5" roof mat. The employee was installing permanent roof supports on the working section when the injury occurred.
An employee was attempting to free a stuck airlock door that had been damaged. While pulling back on the door, employee fell backwards on to left ankle resulting in a broken left leg.
The employee was in the process of hanging the continuous miner cable and waterline on the section. Employee felt a strain in right arm pit as employee lifted the cable and waterline.
June 19, 2019VA · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDLING OF MATERIALS
NOTE: This is being filed under protest. The operator maintains that the employee did not sustain an injury that would prevent the employee from performing the employee's normal work activities. The employee alleged that the employee felt a sharp pain in right shoulder while preparing roof bolts for installation.
May 20, 2019VA · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
The contracted employee slipped while weed eating on an inclined bank. The slip resulted in a fall down the incline of approximately 4 Feet. The contracted employee stated that EE strained EE's back.
A group of employees was attempting to remove a broken continuous miner conveyor torque shaft with a chain ratchet. The hook of the chain ratchet came loose from the torque shaft striking an employee on the left hand middle knuckle. The strike resulted in a fractured knuckle.
Note: The employee did not immediately seek medical treatment. The first day of restricted work activity was 5/8/19. The employee was changing the left rear tire on a personnel carrier. As they removed the tire to be replaced, they felt a twinge in the lower back.
November 5, 2018VA · Coalbelt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
The employee was attempting to splice two pieces of soft waterline together with a hose mender. EE felt a "pop" in right shoulder as EE was pushing one end of the waterline up onto the hose mender. EE worked with this condition until treatment was needed on 12/20/2018.
October 20, 2018VA · Coalscoop tram operator, load/haul/dump operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
The employee was pulling conveyor belt with a scoop and a wire rope. The wire rope ripped through the conveyor belt striking the employee above the right eye.
The employee was scooping in the #1 heading. The employee placed left hand on top of the scoop panel while operating the scoop with right hand. A piece of draw rock fell on left hand causing lacerations to third, fourth, and fifth fingers.