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Walter L Houser Strip: 1 recorded fatality Coal

Sunnyside, Armstrong County, PA  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 3601046

Walter L Houser Strip has $50K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
1
Total incidents
9
Years on record
1987–2003
Latest incident
May 2003
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
64
citations
25
significant & substantial
$50,106
proposed penalties
$30,106
paid to date
60% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $20,000 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
See Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated's full MSHA compliance history →
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
71
inspections on record
1,174
inspection hours
5.5
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.
64 citations across 1,174 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Walter L Houser Strip has $50K 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.
$50K
proposed penalties
$30K
current assessed
$30K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
63 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $45K in penalties contested before the Commission, $25K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2007-06-28.
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.
39.7%
significant & substantial
1.6%
high negligence or reckless
39.7%
reasonably likely or greater
3.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 23.8% low, 74.6% moderate, 0.0% high, 1.6% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
When citations were contested
ⓘ Contesting a citation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is a lawful right. These figures state the public outcomes of that process, from MSHA's Contested Violations file.
1 citations taken to the federal commission · 2% of citations on record
  • Settled 1 · 100%
100%
S&S designation survived the contest
ⓘ Counts a Significant & Substantial citation as surviving when a settlement or judge's decision kept the designation, or the contest was dismissed or defaulted so the citation stands as issued. Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.
of 1 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
44%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$45K proposed, $25K after decisions · industry: 39%
Source: MSHA Contested Violations file (public record), updated weekly. A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record. Latest contest filed 2003-08-28.
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
PENN 2003-199 Settlement Zielinski 2004 $45K → $25K
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Walter L Houser Strip shows 96% of 168 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: 2007-03-30, 19 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
168
samples
4.57
dust max (mg/m3)
110 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 58 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR95
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER28
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE25

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2006-01-31, 20 years ago
16.5
silica avg (%)
16
samples
43.3
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR11
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4
  • HIGHWALL DRILL HELPER1
See US coal mines ranked by silica in their dust samples.

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: 2007-02-09, 19 years ago
11%
over PEL
57
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR19
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER18
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE16
See US mines ranked by noise samples over the legal limit.
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
2007 100% 5
2006 100% 9
2005 100% 11
2004 96% 48
2003 100% 35
2002 86% 28
2001 96% 23
2000 100% 9
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2006 15.2 1
2005 0.9 1
2004 15.7 3
2003 6.6 1
2002 19.2 2
2001 23.4 5
2000 13.1 3
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2007 0% 3
2006 0% 4
2004 0% 15
2003 0% 7
2002 10% 10
2001 11% 9
2000 44% 9
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Walter L Houser Strip 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 Pennsylvania, coal mining averaged 5.95 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 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2003 * 16.78 5.59 0.000
2002 * 16.00 10.67 5.334
2001 * 0.00 0.00 0.000
2000 * 8.47 8.47 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.
Ownership history
  1. Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated 1950 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)
2007 6 16,412
2006 8 44,165
2005 12 71,587
2004 12 87,156
2003 14 94,917
2002 16 107,535
2001 12 131,050
2000 10 124,787
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Walter L Houser Strip sits in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, where the Census mining category is 2.2% 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.
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania · Population 65,069
2.2%
Mining share of county employment
$64,295
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
2007 Q3 0 0 0
2007 Q2 4,040 1 0 247.5
2007 Q1 6,240 1 1 160.3
2006 Q4 4,163 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 4,050 0 0 0.0
2006 Q2 4,168 2 0 479.8
2006 Q1 4,581 4 1 873.2
2005 Q4 5,167 0 0 0.0
Show 23 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2005 Q3 5,053 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 6,010 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 7,372 0 0 0.0
2004 Q4 8,127 7 1 861.3
2004 Q3 8,924 4 1 448.2
2004 Q2 6,778 7 4 1032.8
2004 Q1 6,981 4 2 573.0
2003 Q4 6,016 0 0 0.0
2003 Q3 9,931 0 0 0.0
2003 Q2 8,774 6 1 683.8
2003 Q1 11,046 0 0 0.0
2002 Q4 7,297 3 1 411.1
2002 Q3 9,888 4 2 404.5
2002 Q2 7,739 3 1 387.6
2002 Q1 12,572 1 1 79.5
2001 Q4 7,724 3 2 388.4
2001 Q3 8,329 1 0 120.1
2001 Q2 5,968 3 0 502.7
2001 Q1 7,743 0 0 0.0
2000 Q4 6,213 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 6,980 0 0 0.0
2000 Q2 4,843 6 4 1238.9
2000 Q1 5,589 0 0 0.0

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded

Reportable incidents

8 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2003 · 3 incidents

May 30, 2003 PA · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated · Fall onto or against objects

TRIPPED GETTING INTO DOZER AND HIT KNUCKLE ON CAB OF DOZER. THE KNUCKLE ON THE RIGHT INDEX FINGER WAS CUT AND REQUIRED STITCHES.

January 27, 2003 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech MACHINERY
Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated · Struck by flying object

EE WAS STEAMING THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE STEAM HIT THE DOOR AND BLEW DEBRIS INTO HIS FACE AND EYE.

January 18, 2003 PA · Coal truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated · Struck against a moving object

TAKING STOCK TRUCK UP THE HILL WHEN IT SLID AND JUMPED OUT OF GEAR. TRUCK SLID DOWN HILL ON ICY SURFACE. AT BOTTOM OF HILL, DRIVER TRIED TO TURN WITH THE ROAD AND THE TRUCK CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE. EE REPORTED ACCIDENT BUT DID NOT SEED MEDICAL HELP. HE LATER SAW A DR. AND HAD X-RAYS AND DR. HAD HIM TAKE 2 DAYS OFF WORK.

2002 · 2 incidents

March 27, 2002 PA · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

CHANGING TIRE & GOT FINGER CAUGHT BETWEEN THE WHEEL & THE HUB OF THE MACK TRUCK.

2000 · 1 incident

1993 · 1 incident

1987 · 1 incident