Walker Branch Mine has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
Watch this mine
Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Walker Branch Mine.
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
10
Years on record
1998–2000
Latest incident
Apr 2000
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
33
citations
13
significant & substantial
$3,974
proposed penalties
$1,715
paid to date
43% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $2,259 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: 301 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Walker Branch Mine has $4K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K 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.
$4K
proposed penalties
$4K
current assessed
$2K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
32 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $9K in penalties contested before the Commission, $9K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2003-10-07.
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.
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 Walker Branch Mine shows 100% of 22 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: 2003-10-08, 22 years ago
100%
within 1.5 mg/m3
22
samples
1.36
dust max (mg/m3)
22 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE6
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER5
BULLDOZER OPERATOR4
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.
Walker Branch Mine recorded 0.00 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2002.
Injury rate, 2002
ⓘ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 6.89 and the all-US-mining average was 5.05 cases per 100 workers.
In Kentucky, coal mining averaged 8.22 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
2002 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2000 *
9.85
9.85
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)
2004
1
2003
2
2002
10
108,823
2001
0
2000
32
340,841
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Walker Branch Mine sits in Pike County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.
Pike County, Kentucky · Population 57,466
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$42,179
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
2004 Q3
0
0
0
2004 Q2
0
0
0
2004 Q1
2,966
0
0
0.0
2003 Q4
1,514
7
0
4623.5
2002 Q4
7,471
7
4
937.0
2002 Q3
6,322
0
0
0.0
2002 Q2
5,126
5
4
975.4
2002 Q1
3,329
0
0
0.0
Show 7 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2001 Q3
0
1
0
2001 Q2
0
0
0
2001 Q1
24
0
0
0.0
2000 Q4
0
3
1
2000 Q3
545
0
0
0.0
2000 Q2
29,537
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
51,113
0
0
0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
10 on file
2000 · 4 incidents
April 16, 2000KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
HE WAS WORKING WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYEE, CHANGING APUMP ON LOADER. NOTICED SORENESS WHICH CONTINUEDTO GET WORSE. SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION JUNE 8. DID NOT REPORT TO FOREMAN UNTIL 8/16/00. HAS NOT RETURNED TO WORK SINCE.
April 1, 2000KY · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorPOWERED HAULAGE
HE STATED THAT WHILE RUNNING LOADER IN TIGHT SHOT, LOADER HIT BOTTOM AND JERKED HIM. BACK WAS STIFF AND SORE WITH PAIN RADIATING DOWN LEGS. HE DID NOT REPORT THIS UNTIL 5/9/00. HIS LAST DAY WO RKED WAS 5/5/00.
March 15, 2000KY · Coalgreaser, grease man, oiler, lube man, dragline oilerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE WAS CLIMBING DOWN LADDER ON 418 DRILL STEPPEDDOWN TO GROUND PUTTING RIGHT FOOT ON SMALL ROCK THE ROCK TURNED OVER CAUSING HIS FOOT TO MOVE TWISTING HIS ANKLE
EE & ANOTHER EE WERE INSTALLING NEW TRACK AND PINS ON KOMATSU EXCAVATOR. OTHER WAS HAMMERING THE PIN IN WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER WHILE INJURED WAS STANDING BACK ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY IN A STRAIGHT LI NE. AS SLEDGE HAMMER HIT THE PIN A PIECE OF METAL BROKE FROM THE PIN FLYING DIRECTLY AT AND HITTING EE'S COVERALLS CUTTING HIS LEG.
July 20, 1999KY · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
HAULING OVERBURDEN IN 777-D CAT TRUCK, EE HAD LOADED AND LEFT THE LOADER WHEN THE FRONT RIGHT SUSPENSION CYLINDER BROKE, CAUSING THE FRONT WHEEL TO COLLAPSE.
EE WAS GOING AFTER A LOAD OF WATER. HE BACKED UP CLOSE TO THE BANK. BANK BROKE OUT AND TRUCK OVERTURNED IN CREEK. HE WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM FOR EVALUATION.
Related mines
Other mines operated by AEP Kentucky Coal, L. L. C.