Mining Incidents

ORCHARD BRANCH OWL MINE Coal

Cumberland, Harlan County, KY  ·  Active
MSHA Mine ID: 1519860

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
11
Years on record
2023–2026
Latest incident
Apr 2026
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2023
195
citations
39
significant & substantial
$63,197
proposed penalties
$33,743
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
2025 Q4 32,798 14 0 426.9
2025 Q3 31,391 7 0 223.0
2025 Q2 27,887 5 0 179.3
2025 Q1 47,508 13 1 273.6
2024 Q4 1,640 17 4 10365.9
2024 Q3 55,493 29 4 522.6
2024 Q2 38,274 14 4 365.8
2024 Q1 236 18 4 76271.2
Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

11 on file

2026 · 2 incidents

April 13, 2026 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was setting conveyor tail piece and was placing a crib block under the leg of the tail piece when the tail piece shifted and pinched the employees left thumb. The injury required 3 stitches to close wound.

March 17, 2026 KY · Coal electrician, lineman POWERED HAULAGE
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Struck against a moving object

Employee was traveling down decline from the portals to the shop area of the underground mine when a mechanical failure occurred in the rear end of the battery personnel carrier EE was operating, which caused excessive speed before overturning the battery powered personnel carrier.

2025 · 2 incidents

April 1, 2025 KY · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Struck against stationary object

Employee was moving a piece of rock from a shuttle car. Employee was swinging the rock when their hand made contact with the canopy of the shuttle car causing the rock to cut their hand just below right hand. 5 stitches to close the wound.

February 25, 2025 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was installing rib bolts and placed hand on canopy while raising and crushed EE's left pinky between the canopy and a cable bolt head. This injury resulted in stitches and compound fracture of the tip of EE's finger.

2024 · 6 incidents

December 28, 2024 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was bolting top and was attempting get drill still out of hole and a piece of sharp rock fell from around the drill hole and cut their forearm. Employee received 4 stitches to close wound.

September 23, 2024 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Struck by falling object

Employee was installing rib bolt, was inserting glue into hole when a piece of sharp draw rock fell from mine roof striking employee's left hand causing a laceration and fracture.

September 17, 2024 KY · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Struck by falling object

EE was loading supplies on a roof bolting machine, when a piece of rock fell from the rib (44inches long, 8 inches wide and 6 inches thick) striking EE on the right leg resulting in a laceration and 3 fractures to the lower leg (below EE's knee).

August 21, 2024 KY · Coal section foreman, bullgang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, shift boss SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Bluegrass Natural Resources, LLC · Fall onto or against objects

Employee stated that they slipped on slick mine floor while working on belt structure and stuck the tip of a pick hammer into their leg. The injury required 2 stitches to close wound.

2023 · 1 incident

December 31, 2023 KY · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler POWERED HAULAGE
KENTUCKY GEM INC. · Struck by flying object

While dumping SC a rock in road hit side of SC & cut ring finger off.