Mining Incidents

Orchard Branch Mine No. 89 Coal

Blue Diamond Coal Company · Underground
Jeff, Perry County, KY  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 1519405

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
55
Years on record
2015–2022
Latest incident
Feb 2022
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2012
1,034
citations
283
significant & substantial
$589,434
proposed penalties
$509,876
paid to date
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2022 Q1 560 1 0 1785.7
2021 Q4 12,415 0 0 0.0
2021 Q3 22,118 26 5 1175.5
2021 Q1 50,570 40 9 791.0
2020 Q4 47,345 25 5 528.0
2020 Q3 41,544 17 6 409.2
2020 Q2 2,880 16 2 5555.6
2019 Q4 1,440 32 5 22222.2
Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

55 on file

2022 · 1 incident

2021 · 10 incidents

July 22, 2021 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall in the #3 Belt line at break # 19 that is an extension of a previously reported roof fall on the #3 Belt line at break 18.

July 11, 2021 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall at break #17 of the #3 Track entry. Fall is approximately 19 feet wide by 60 feet long and 6-8 feet thick.

June 26, 2021 KY · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

A piece of rock fell and struck employee on the lower left leg resulting in a fracture on the left leg/ankle.

2020 · 4 incidents

October 9, 2020 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall between breaks no. 9 and no. 10 on the #3 Belt line. Fall dimensions were approximately 70' long by 18' wide by 10' thick.

October 8, 2020 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall between break no. 22 to no. 23 on the # 3 Belt line. Fall dimensions were approximately 50' long by 10' wide by 8' thick.

September 23, 2020 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

A piece of rock fell onto the continuous miner while mining and caused the continuous miner to be stuck for more than an hour before it could be pulled out.

September 16, 2020 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall on the #3 Belt Line between breaks No. 28 to 29. The fall was cleaned up and the affected area was re-supported.

2019 · 5 incidents

September 25, 2019 KY · Coal section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss MACHINERY
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was helping drill a hole in the bottom and employee's arm contacted the rotating auger type drill barrel and cut the arm. Sutures were required to repair the wound.

May 11, 2019 KY · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck against stationary object

Employee caught left middle finger between an oil bath and the frame of a Belt drive. EE's finger contacted a sharp edge on the oil bath and cut the finger. EE received 8 sutures to the left middle finger.

February 6, 2019 KY · Coal scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

Employee was getting bolts off of the rear of the roof bolter and a 4" thick by 17" long by 5" wide rock fell and struck EE's right 4th digit fingertip. Employee had to have 5 sutures.

January 28, 2019 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by flying object

Another employee was using a hammer during a belt set up, the hammer slipped from EE's hand and struck another employee on the right side of the face (cheek). The injured employee sustained a small cut that required sutures.

January 2, 2019 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

An unintentional roof fall was found between breaks 16 and 17 on the #3 Belt line. The fall was approximately 60' long by 20' wide and approximately 8-10' thick.

2018 · 6 incidents

November 1, 2018 KY · Coal scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator MACHINERY
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was installing a roof bolt and inadvertently engaged rotation while hand was on bolt. The bolt caught on glove and ee cut hand and fractured right thumb. EE started missing work on 11/2/2018.

October 22, 2018 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall at break #33 on the Hall Mains-Track Entry. Fall dimensions were approximately 20 long by 20' wide by 6 feet thick.

October 19, 2018 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

The continuous miner was conducting retreat mining on the 2nd left panel off of Beast Sub-mains when the continuous miner got stuck and then some rock fell and caught the continuous miner preventing it from tramming out of the cut.

October 14, 2018 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the #4 Belt Entry at Crosscut #11 on Hall Mains. Roof Fall was approximately 20' wide by 50' long and 12' thick.

May 10, 2018 KY · Coal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was cutting a piece of conveyor belt and the knife slipped and cut them on the right thigh. 5 Sutures were required.

February 28, 2018 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Unintentional roof fall was discovered on 02/28/2018 on the Bobcat Bleeder panel in the number one entry starting at just in by crosscut 11 and extends in by the number 12 crosscut

2017 · 9 incidents

December 16, 2017 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Roof fall in the intersection of the No. 2 entry and adjacent break No. 3 entry at break No. 26 of the combs mains. 20 feet wide x 65 feet long by 6 feet thick

October 26, 2017 KY · Coal electrician, lineman HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was working on a battery jack on a scoop. EE raised the jack with a slate bar, the slate bar slipped crushing finger between the slate bar & jack. Left ring finger had an open fracture to tip of finger.

September 16, 2017 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

Bolting top and drill steel stuck in drilled hole. While placing a piece of the drill steel in the tray the drill steel stuck in the drilled hole fell out hitting right hand, Middle finger was fractured

August 18, 2017 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) ELECTRICAL
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Flash burns (electric)

Employee was pulling up cable slack,cable blew out, arc flashed in face and eyes.

April 24, 2017 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall in the #1 entry just inby xcut 21 extending inby between xcuts #23 & #24. Fall is approximately 140' long by 19' wide by 8 to 10' thick.

March 14, 2017 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

Found an unintentional roof fall on the 001 #3B Beltline at Break #13. Fall was in the intersection and was approximately 20' wide by 20' long.

February 15, 2017 KY · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

2 unintentional roof falls were discovered during the weekly examiners route on 2/15/17 at approximately 13:50 pm. One fall in the #1 entry between xcuts 33 and 35 and the second one is in #2 entry between xcuts 36 and 37 in the 5th Left Panel off Dykes Branch Mains.

2016 · 18 incidents

November 17, 2016 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) POWERED HAULAGE
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was tramming a shuttle car to the feeder and struck a corner/rib and caught left arm between the car deck and rib.

September 30, 2016 KY · Coal electrician, lineman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

An employee was removing a bridge speed reducer from the bridge conveyor tray and it flipped around and fell and struck the employees left foot. Fractured a meta tarsal bone in foot. Employee started missing work 10/1/16.

September 27, 2016 KY · Coal INUNDATION
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Accident type, without injuries

The No. 7 Right cross cut unintentionally cut into an unmarked and unknown auger hole. Some water run into the mine directly to a nearby pump that was already set.

September 12, 2016 KY · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

Employee was putting oil in the continuous mine and dropped a lid on EE's finger and cut EE's finger. 7 Sutures were required. Started missing work 9/13/2016.

September 8, 2016 KY · Coal electrician, lineman SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Fall to the walkway or working surface

Waterline blew apart and knocked employee down. Employee started missing work on 9/15/16 due to pain in the neck and shoulder.

August 29, 2016 KY · Coal scoop tram operator, load/haul/dump operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Over-exertion in lifting objects

Employee was helping another employee load a top belt roller into a scoop insert and strained back. EE started missing work on 8/30/2016.

August 8, 2016 KY · Coal electrician, lineman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was walking while carrying a battery bell connector and a 20' piece of battery lead wire and felt a sharp pain in back. EE started missing work 8/11/2016.

July 18, 2016 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

Employee was bolting and a piece of rock fell onto left knee. Sutures were required.

June 14, 2016 KY · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Fall down stairs

Employee was walking down steps and tripped and fell down the steps and hurt their right shoulder and back. Started Missing work on 7/11/2016 due to shoulder surgery being necessary.

May 11, 2016 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

Employee was cleaning the dust box out on a roof bolter and a small rock fell and cut arm. 5 sutures were required.

March 22, 2016 KY · Coal laborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

A piece of rock hit employee on the right leg and bruised EE's right thigh. EE started missing work 3/23/2016

March 12, 2016 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Employee was installing the inside bolt from the off side of the double head bolter, EE accidentally hit the rotation while EE's hand was still on the bolt and it caught EE's hand which then wrapped around the bolt. Fractured arm, started missing work on 3/14/2016.

February 22, 2016 KY · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was getting a rock out of the miner conveyor tail and pinched finger between the rock and miner tail. 8 sutures were required and EE returned back to work full duty the next shift.

January 4, 2016 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was using a piece of drill steel to help install a top belt roller and the drill steel slipped and struck EE on the upper lip. Sutures were Required.

2015 · 2 incidents

September 19, 2015 KY · Coal outside foreman, leadman HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was handling a belt hold down roller and caught his thumb and finger between the frame of the stacker and roller and cut his thumb and finger. Sutures were required.

June 23, 2015 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Blue Diamond Coal Company · Struck by falling object

Employee was hitting his drill steel while attempting to unstop it and the steel bounced off the canopy and struck him on his right cheek next to his eye. 5 sutures were required.