Clairfield, Claiborne County,
TN
·
Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4003218
Valley Creek Mine No. 3 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 0 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
2004–2005
Latest incident
Aug 2005
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
48
citations
16
significant & substantial
$3,576
proposed penalties
$3,576
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
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: 895 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Valley Creek Mine No. 3 has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$4K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
46 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2005-07-18.
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.
MSHA sampling at Valley Creek Mine No. 3 shows 92% of 131 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: 2005-09-14, 20 years ago
92%
within 1.5 mg/m3
131
samples
3.06
dust max (mg/m3)
72 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 59 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.
Valley Creek Mine No. 3 recorded 19.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2005.
Injury rate, 2005
ⓘ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.
19.00
total case rate
11.40
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 5.11 and the all-US-mining average was 4.21 cases per 100 workers.
In Tennessee, 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
2005 *
19.00
11.40
0.000
2004 *
5.80
5.80
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)
2006
0
2005
26
159,730
2004
20
81,055
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Valley Creek Mine No. 3 sits in Claiborne County, Tennessee, where the Census mining category is 1.0% 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.
Claiborne County, Tennessee · Population 32,221
1.0%
Mining share of county employment
$46,587
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
2006 Q2
0
0
0
2006 Q1
0
0
0
2005 Q4
2,364
0
0
0.0
2005 Q3
16,635
5
0
300.6
2005 Q2
19,942
6
4
300.9
2005 Q1
13,701
0
0
0.0
2004 Q4
7,505
11
5
1465.7
2004 Q3
10,054
7
1
696.2
Show 2 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2004 Q2
12,639
15
5
1186.8
2004 Q1
4,308
4
1
928.5
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
9 on file
2005 · 5 incidents
August 28, 2005TN · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorMACHINERY
Employee was cutting coal with Joy miner and a piece of metal broke off of bit when it hit sandstone in the coal, metal flew back about 50' and struck him in the right eye (safety glasses were provided but he was not wearing them).
August 16, 2005TN · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Tennco, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Employee was removing crib block and got hit in the right pointer finger and it broke finger between knuckle & 1st joint.
April 9, 2005TN · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
EMPLOYEE WAS CHANGING BIT IN PIECE OF DRILL STEEL WHEN A SMALL PIECE OF SHARP ROCK FELL & STRUCK HIM IN THE POINTER FINGER ON HIS RT. HAND, CUTTING THE TIP OF THAT FINGER UP AROUND THE FINGERNAIL. IT TOOK 6 STITCHES & THEY WANT HIM TO SEE ANOTHER DR. FOR ANY OTHER DAMAGE.
March 3, 2005TN · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
EMPLOYEE WAS BOLTING TOP IN #1 ENTRY WHEN A PIECE OF DRAW ROCK FELL & HIT TOP OF CANOPY & HE RAN OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE CANOPY & A PIECE OF THE ROCK SLID OFF & HIT HIM IN THE HEAD. HAD TO HAVE 10 STITCHES TO CLOSE THE WOUND.
February 22, 2005TN · Coalroof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs)HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Tennco, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
EE was tightening fitting on water line with a pipe wrench, the pipe wrench slipped and struck him in the mouth and broke his front tooth. Was making a belt move at time.
ROCK FALL IN A SET OF ROOMS OFF #2 MAIN LINE BELT IN RETURN, 3 BREAKS OUTBY FACE. AIR MOVEMENT OR TRAVELWAY WAS NOT AFFECTED. CRIBBED AND DANGERED OFF.
WAS HELPING WORK ON A 215C A JOY SHUTTLE CAR. REEL CHAIN CAME OFF SPROCKET & HUNG UP CHAIN. WAS PRYING CHAIN BACK ON WITH SLATE BAR AND PULLED MUSCLE IN BACK.