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The mine was presented with a Certificate of Honor recently from the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
The certificate recognized West Elk’s exceptional safety performance over five consecutive years – or more than 4 million employee-hours.
Based on lost-time incident rates among underground mines, West Elk is one of the safest underground mines in the United States, with a safety performance 80% better than the industry average.
Earlier this year, West Elk earned the Rocky Mountain Mining Institute's "Safest Underground Mine Award" for its 2004 performance.
Operated by Arch subsidiary Mountain Coal Company, West Elk is also one of the most efficient underground coal mines in the US, with a production rate of 6.5 million tons per year and an average productivity rate of 90 tons per employee-shift.
About 400 people are employed at West Elk.
