Mining Incidents

Young'S Fork: 38 MSHA citations Coal

Controlled by Progress Energy Inc
Sassafras, Knott County, KY  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 1518104

Young'S Fork has $5K 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
5
Years on record
1999–2002
Latest incident
Mar 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
38
citations
17
significant & substantial
$5,288
proposed penalties
$5,288
paid to date
100% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $0 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
32
inspections on record
457
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: 457 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Young'S Fork has $5K 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.
$5K
proposed penalties
$5K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
38 assessments are final orders; 0 contested dockets.
As of the most recent assessment on 2002-09-12.
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.
44.7%
significant & substantial
0.0%
high negligence or reckless
44.7%
reasonably likely or greater
18.4%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 21.1% low, 78.9% moderate, 0.0% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.

MSHA sampling at Young'S Fork shows 98% of 100 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: 2002-07-25, 24 years ago
98%
within 1.5 mg/m3
100
samples
1.62
dust max (mg/m3)
54 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 46 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR53
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE20
  • HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR14

Silica (quartz)

Last sampled: 2001-11-07, 24 years ago
10.6
silica avg (%)
6
samples
21.0
silica max (%)
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR5
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE1

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: 2001-10-31, 24 years ago
24%
over PEL
17
samples
Most-sampled occupations
  • BULLDOZER OPERATOR5
  • HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER5
  • REFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE4
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
2002 100% 24
2001 98% 51
2000 96% 25
Silica (quartz) by year
Year silica avg (%) samples
2001 11.7 3
2000 9.6 3
Noise by year
Year over PEL samples
2001 0% 8
2000 44% 9
Source: MSHA respirable dust, quartz, and noise sampling records, updated weekly.

Young'S Fork recorded 3.23 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.
3.23
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 * 3.23 0.00 0.000
2001 1.85 1.85 0.000
2000 3.73 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.
Ownership history
  1. Diamond May Mining Company 1998 to 2000
  2. Diamond May Mining Inc 2000 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)
2003 0
2002 23 271,825
2001 48 523,650
2000 41 452,315
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Young'S Fork sits in Knott County, Kentucky, where the Census mining category is 2.8% 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.
Knott County, Kentucky · Population 14,046
2.8%
Mining share of county employment
$37,736
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
2003 Q4 0 0 0
2003 Q3 0 0 0
2003 Q2 0 0 0
2003 Q1 0 0 0
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 8,121 3 0 369.4
2002 Q2 24,751 0 0 0.0
2002 Q1 28,989 7 3 241.5
Show 8 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2001 Q4 24,320 0 0 0.0
2001 Q3 28,070 3 0 106.9
2001 Q2 25,132 4 2 159.2
2001 Q1 30,342 2 1 65.9
2000 Q4 24,430 0 0 0.0
2000 Q3 28,014 6 6 214.2
2000 Q2 25,447 1 1 39.3
2000 Q1 29,311 8 1 272.9
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2002 · 1 incident

March 28, 2002 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Diamond May Mining Inc · Struck by flying object

EE WAS DRIVING A BEARING INTO A DOGBONE ON 9222011 AND A PIECE CHIPPED OFF HIS SLEDGEHAMMER AND WENT INTO HIS FINGER.

2001 · 1 incident

May 22, 2001 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Diamond May Mining Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE TOOK MUSCLE CRAMP IN HIS BACK WHILE RUNNING DOZER ON DRILL BENCH.

2000 · 2 incidents

July 28, 2000 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Diamond May Mining Company · Fall from machine

EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING WITH DOZER; HANDLE ON DOOR CAME OFF AND HE FELL BACKWARD, HURTING HIS LEFT HAND AND LEFT FOOT.

June 15, 2000 KY · Coal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Diamond May Mining Company · Struck against stationary object

EE WAS CLIMBING FORM LOADER & HIT HIS LEFT HAND ON THE TIRE. EE ADVISED 7-1-00 OF HAIRLINE FRACTURE.

1999 · 1 incident

December 20, 1999 KY · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Diamond May Mining Company · Struck against a moving object

EE CAME LATE FOR WORK IN HIS RUSH TO CATCH UP HEFORGOT TO BUCKLE HIS SEAT BELT WHEN THE WENT OVER THE BENCH THE BLADE WENT INTO THE GROUND & HE WAS THROWN AGAINST THECAB, CUTTING HIS HEAD Y