76% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,634,294 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
1,476
inspections on record
76,549
inspection hours
11.4
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.
8,761 citations across 76,549 inspection hours.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Penalty disposition
ⓘDifferences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$6.7M
proposed penalties
$5.1M
current assessed
$5.1M
paid to date
$10
outstanding
8,624 assessments are final orders; 335 contested dockets.
Of $4.9M in penalties contested before the Commission, $3.0M was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2015-07-30.
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.
Injury rate, 2015
ⓘ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 3.76 and the all-US-mining average was 2.72 cases per 100 workers.
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
2015 *
0.00
0.00
0.000
2014
3.18
1.74
0.289
2013
2.88
2.02
0.000
2012
3.60
1.06
0.000
2011
4.77
1.87
0.000
2010
4.86
1.21
0.000
2009
4.86
1.12
0.000
2008
1.23
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.
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: 2015-01-26, 11 years ago
94%
within 1.5 mg/m3
8,190
samples
8.16
dust max (mg/m3)
8
over MSHA ECV
ⓘThe excessive concentration value (ECV) is MSHA's own per-sample enforcement threshold, which builds in measurement uncertainty; a sample over its ECV can trigger a citation. The count covers only samples MSHA assigned an ECV.
3,386 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 4,804 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.
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.
1,632citations taken to the federal commission · 19% of citations on record
Settled
1,469 · 90%
Stood as issued
163 · 10%
90%
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 1,293 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
35%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$4.6M proposed, $3.0M 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 2015-08-20. Vacated and withdrawn citations are removed from the file this view attributes through, so that outcome is slightly undercounted here.
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 operator contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Dominion Coal Corporation · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Employee was tramming continuous miner from #4 heading toward #1 heading when he was caught between the conveyor boom and the rib. There were no eyewitnesses.
January 15, 1998VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Dominion Coal Corporation · Struck by powered moving object
THE EE WAS RIDING IN THE OUTBY END OF THE TRACK [MANTRIP] VEHICLE AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SHIFT, WHEN THE MANTRIP WAS STRUCK BY A TRACK SUPPLY CAR. THE SUPPLY CAR WAS BEING PULLED TO THE SUR FACE BY AN 8-TON LOCOMOTIVE WHEN THE CAR APPARENTLY BECAME UNCOUPLED.
November 18, 1992VA · Coalcontinuous miner operator, coal mole operatorFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dominion Coal Corporation · Struck by falling object
DURING THE NORMAL MINING CYCLE A ROOF FALL OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING IN SLIP FORM STARTING APPROXIMATELY 39 TO 40 FT INBY SPAD NO 48 IN THE NO 1 ENTRY WHICH RESULTED IN FATAL INJUR IES TO THE MINER OPERATOR.THE FALL MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 10 FEET IN WIDTH AND 0 TO 6 FT IN THICKNESS.THE MINER OPERATOR WAS LOCATED IN THE OPERATOR'S COMPARTMENT UNDER PERMANENTLY SUPPO
May 15, 1991VA · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techFatality · EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Dominion Coal Corporation · Struck by flying object
THE VICTIM AND CO WORKER EE HAD BEEN SENT TO THE POWDER MAGAZINE TO DESTROY DETERIRATING BLASTING POWDER THAT HAD BEEN DISCOVERED EARLIER THAT DAY. FOR SOME REASON, UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, A PRE MATURE DETONATION OF EXPLISVES OCCURRED RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO EE AND CRITICAL INJURIES TO OTHER. BLASTING POWDER TO BE DESTROYED WAS IRECO CHEMICAL CO IRECOAL D-378 PERMISSIBLE ROCK
August 31, 1989VA · Coalroof bolter helper, rock bolter helper, pinner helperFatality · POWERED HAULAGE
THE VICTIM AND TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES WERE STAYING BACK FOR TWO HOURS AFTER THE END OF THEIR REGULAR SHIFT TO LAY TRACK. THE FLAT CAR THEY WERE TO USED HAD ONE RAIL ON IT. AT THIS POINT, THE MEN COULD NOT GET THE CAR COUPLED TO THE LOCOMOTIVE SO TWO OF THE EMPLOYEES HOOKED TO IT TO PULL IT TO WHERE IT COULD BE. AS THE CAR WAS BEING PULLED, THE VICTIM CAME FROM APPROX. 20' INBY THE CAR
April 3, 1989VA · Coalcontinuous miner helper, coal mole helper, bridgemanFatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Dominion Coal Corporation · Struck by falling object
A ROOF FALL IN SLIP FROM OCCURRED IN THE INTERSECTION OF THE LAST OPEN CROSSCUT OF THE NO. 7 HEADING WHICH RESULTED IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE MINER HELPER THE FALL MEASURED APPROX 20'W 40'L 40- 45" IN THICKNESS AND BROKE INTO MANY SMALLER PIECES AND APPARENTLY WITHOUT WARNING THE FALL BEGAN AT THE RIB RIB OF THE NO. 7 HEADING AND FELL INTO THE NO. 6 RIGHT BREAK EMPL WAS PRONOUNCED D
Dominion Coal Corporation · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
VICTIM WAS AREPAIRING A VENTILATION CHECK CURTAIN IN THE 2ND LINE OF OPEN BREAKS BETWEEN THE (3NOS. 5 & 6 HEADINGS ON THE NO. 6 HDG. SIDE. THE SHUTTLE CAR CAME THROUGH THE CURTAIN FROM THE NO . 5 HDG. SIDE, STRUCK AND RAN UPON THE VICTIM FATALLY INJURING HIM. THE VICTIM APPARENTLY THOUGHT THE SHUTTLE CAR WOULD TRAVEL UP THE NO. 5 SENTRY WHERE THE CONTINUOUS MINER WAS.
For insurers, brokers, and safety consultants
Where Dominion Coal Corporation stands on silica, penalties, and injury rate
MSHA's standard limits respirable silica to 50 micrograms per cubic metre, but MSHA publishes
dust and quartz as separate files and never the silica figure itself. We derive it per sample,
score it against the limit, and set the operator's injury rate against a benchmark built from
the full MSHA operator record. With the 26-year penalty trail, contest posture, and fatality
history. Delivered as a PDF with the underlying data as CSV.