Mining Incidents

Tyler #2: 18 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Ralph T Smith
Slickville, Westmoreland County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3606903

Tyler #2 has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
1
Years on record
1989
Latest incident
Nov 1989
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
18
citations
8
significant & substantial
$1,329
proposed penalties
$1,311
paid to date
99% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $18 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
19
inspections on record
223
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: 223 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Tyler #2 has $1K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 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.
$1K
proposed penalties
$1K
current assessed
$1K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
18 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $359 in penalties contested before the Commission, $258 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-07-10.
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.
44.4%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
50.0%
reasonably likely or greater
5.6%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 55.6% low, 44.4% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
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
PENN20010177 Settlement Barbour 2001 $359 → $258
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Tyler #2 shows 100% of 25 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: 2002-09-26, 23 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
25
samples
0.27
dust max (mg/m3)
10 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 15 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR18
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR3
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE3

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2001-06-01, 25 years ago
48.7
silica avg (%)
1
samples
48.7
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR1

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: 2001-12-17, 24 years ago
29%
over PEL
14
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR6
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4
  • BACKHOE OPERATOR2
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
2002 100% 4
2001 100% 10
2000 100% 11
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2001 33% 9
2000 20% 5
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. Ralph Smith & Son Inc 1979 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)
2003 3 3,737
2002 6 32,151
2001 7 68,900
2000 5 38,438
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Tyler #2 sits in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 0.5% 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.
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania · Population 353,345
0.5%
Mining share of county employment
$72,468
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
2003 Q4 16 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 923 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 0 0 0
2003 Q1 32 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 605 0 0 0.0
2002 Q3 2,178 1 0 459.1
2002 Q2 4,017 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 3,800 0 0 0.0
Show 8 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2001 Q4 4,625 8 3 1729.7
2001 Q3 4,062 1 1 246.2
2001 Q2 3,429 5 1 1458.2
2001 Q1 3,455 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 3,705 1 1 269.9
2000 Q3 1,850 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 2,795 2 2 715.6
2000 Q1 2,868 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

1 on file

1989 · 1 incident

November 4, 1989 PA · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Ralph Smith & Son Inc · Struck against a moving object

TIE ROD END FAILED AS TRUCK WAS COMING OUT OF PIT. DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OF STEERING, TRUCK STARTED TO CLIMB BANK THEN LOST POWER STARTED BACKWARDS HIT BEAM & THEN LAID ON IT'S SIDE.