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.
51 citations across 1,491 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Vansant 4A 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
51 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2005-10-24.
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 Vansant 4A shows 98% of 263 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: 2005-11-21, 20 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
263
samples
2.04
dust max (mg/m3)
122 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 141 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.
Vansant 4A recorded 0.00 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.
0.00
total case rate
0.00
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Below average. The US coal mining average was 5.11 and the all-US-mining average was 4.21 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 5.85 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 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2004 *
5.63
5.63
0.000
2003 *
4.47
4.47
0.000
2002 *
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.
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
3
19,586
2005
14
83,066
2004
17
96,912
2003
23
114,758
2002
18
106,203
2001
4
21,278
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Vansant 4A sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 13.0% 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.
McDowell County, West Virginia · Population 18,413
13.0%
Mining share of county employment
$29,980
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 Q3
0
0
0
2006 Q2
0
0
0
2006 Q1
1,431
0
0
0.0
2005 Q4
8,319
1
1
120.2
2005 Q3
6,809
0
0
0.0
2005 Q2
8,241
3
1
364.0
2005 Q1
7,570
3
2
396.3
2004 Q4
8,523
5
1
586.6
Show 14 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2004 Q3
8,888
3
0
337.5
2004 Q2
8,683
9
2
1036.5
2004 Q1
9,434
4
0
424.0
2003 Q4
10,893
4
0
367.2
2003 Q3
12,013
3
1
249.7
2003 Q2
11,252
2
1
177.7
2003 Q1
10,538
4
1
379.6
2002 Q4
9,198
3
2
326.2
2002 Q3
9,795
1
1
102.1
2002 Q2
9,325
3
0
321.7
2002 Q1
6,172
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
4,230
3
2
709.2
2001 Q3
272
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
0
0
0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file
2004 · 1 incident
February 4, 2004WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDLING OF MATERIALS