Mining Incidents

Upper Big Branch Raw Coal Facil Coal

Naoma, Raleigh County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4608539

Upper Big Branch Raw Coal Facil has $13K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K outstanding across 2 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
1996–2014
Latest incident
Sep 2014
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
65
citations
35
significant & substantial
$13,012
proposed penalties
$9,312
paid to date
72% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,700 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
56
inspections on record
894
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: 894 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Upper Big Branch Raw Coal Facil has $13K in proposed MSHA penalties and $4K 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.
$13K
proposed penalties
$13K
current assessed
$9K
paid to date
$4K
outstanding
65 assessments are final orders; 2 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2014-12-23.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Upper Big Branch Raw Coal Facil shows respirable coal dust averaging 0.27 mg/m3 (100% compliant) across 35 samples.

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.
0.27
dust avg (mg/m3)
1.14
dust max (mg/m3)
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
35
samples
Most recent sample: 2010-02-23.
Noise
0%
over PEL
6
samples
Most recent sample: 2009-09-10.
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.
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 Q1 0 0 0
2014 Q4 0 2 2
2014 Q3 0 0 0
2014 Q2 0 0 0
2014 Q1 0 0 0
2012 Q4 12 0 0 0.0
2012 Q3 12 0 0 0.0
2012 Q2 12 0 0 0.0
Show 48 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2012 Q1 12 0 0 0.0
2011 Q3 0 0 0
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 0 0 0
2010 Q4 0 1 0
2010 Q3 0 0 0
2010 Q2 0 0 0
2010 Q1 1,394 3 1 2152.1
2009 Q4 19,978 0 0 0.0
2009 Q3 17,076 2 1 117.1
2009 Q2 4,380 0 0 0.0
2009 Q1 1,777 1 0 562.7
2008 Q4 1,974 0 0 0.0
2008 Q3 2,983 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 3,923 0 0 0.0
2008 Q1 3,925 0 0 0.0
2007 Q4 3,941 0 0 0.0
2007 Q3 5,294 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 6,332 2 2 315.9
2007 Q1 5,546 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 5,823 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 5,026 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 6,291 3 3 476.9
2006 Q1 7,210 0 0 0.0
2005 Q4 6,248 8 3 1280.4
2005 Q3 6,607 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 6,501 5 2 769.1
2005 Q1 5,075 6 2 1182.3
2004 Q4 4,933 2 0 405.4
2004 Q3 5,766 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 6,231 1 1 160.5
2004 Q1 5,587 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 4,701 6 5 1276.3
2003 Q3 4,635 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 2,546 2 2 785.5
2003 Q1 2,750 8 5 2909.1
2002 Q4 3,604 7 3 1942.3
2002 Q3 4,080 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 4,524 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 6,743 0 0 0.0
2001 Q4 7,691 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 6,356 0 0 0.0
2001 Q2 4,369 3 2 686.7
2001 Q1 3,887 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 4,219 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 3,453 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 3,469 3 1 864.8
2000 Q1 2,424 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

9 on file

2014 · 1 incident

September 24, 2014 WV · Coal MACHINERY
Performance Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Wet conditions, berm came lose, equipment slid approximately 12 feet before turning on its side there were no injuries to the operator

2008 · 1 incident

July 21, 2008 WV · Coal assistant mine foreman, assistant mine manager SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Performance Coal Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

He was walking when he fell down injuring his lower back, right hand & leg. He was walking on a floor that was uneven that has been repaired. Was diagnosed with pulled ligament by specialist on 8/14/08.

2006 · 2 incidents

December 1, 2006 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Performance Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was attempting to change the middle roller of the top belt. He locked & tagged the belt out & proceeded to place his body between the top & bottom belt to take the weight off of the roller. He heard a pop in his lower back & experienced sharp pains shooting into his legs.

August 6, 2006 WV · Coal miner, prospector, nec MACHINERY
Performance Coal Company · Flash burns (welding)

Co-workers welding in close proximity. Exposure to welding burned ee's eye. Employee was wearing safety glasses during exposure.

2003 · 1 incident

December 8, 2003 WV · Coal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Performance Coal Company · Fall from machine

INJURED WAS EXITING A 988 END LOADER WHEN HIS RIGHT FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE NEXT TO LAST STEP. THIS CAUSED HIM TO LAND AWKWARDLY ON HIS RIGHT LEG. HE CONTINUED TO WORK BUT HIS KNEE DIDN'T GET ANY BETTER. HE STARTED TO MISS 12/15/03 AFTER SCHEDULED DAYS OFF. HE THOUGHT HIS KNEE WOULD GET BETTER.

2002 · 3 incidents

November 5, 2002 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Performance Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

INJURED WAS PREPARING TO MAKE A VULCANIZED SPLICE IN A CONVEYOR BELT IN AN AREA THAT WAS WET AND MUDDY. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CUT THE BELTING HE POSITIONED HIMSELF IN AN AWKWARD POSITION THAT PUT HIS LEG IN A DIRECT PATH OF THE UTILITY KNIFE HE WAS USING. THE KNIFE CAME OFF OF THE BELT AND STRUCKHIM IN THE LEG WHEN PULLING THE KNIFE TOWARD HIS BODY.

May 16, 2002 WV · Coal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Performance Coal Company · Over-exertion in pulling or pushing objects

EE WAS PULLING A WATER HOSE UP THE CATWALK TO CLEAN THE WALKWAY. HE STATED HE FELT PAIN IN HIS BACK.

May 15, 2002 WV · Coal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider POWERED HAULAGE
Performance Coal Company · Struck against a moving object

EE HAD FINISHED CLEANING THE TAILPIECE ON 101 SILO BELT. HE STATED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A STEEP INCLINE TO THE BELT CONTROL ROOM, THE TRUCK SEEMED TO JUMP OUT OF GEAR, AND THE POWER STERRING FAI LED. THE BRAKES ALSO FAILED, AND HE MANUALLY STEERED THE TRUCK INTO THE DITCHLINE AT THE LEFT. THE TRUCK STOPPED APPROX 30 YDS AWAY. HE FELT PAIN IN HIS BACK NECK AND RIGHT WRIST.

1996 · 1 incident

July 3, 1996 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Performance Coal Company · Fall onto or against objects

EE HAD BEEN RUNNING A BOBCAT LOADER. EE HAD PARKED THE LOADER AND DISMOUNTED. SLIP ON MUD, FELL BACK INTO THE BUCKET, CUTTING HIS RIGHT LEG ABOUT 2" BELOW THE KNEE. SAW A DR. & GOT PRESCRIPTIO N.

For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants

The full compliance file on Upper Big Branch Raw Coal Facil

A dated report covering the 26-year penalty trail, line-item violation pattern, contest and docket posture, rate-normalized peer benchmark, and full fatality history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.