RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS
For the purpose of allocating the resources of the Department, the Coal Mine Safety Laws of Virginia mandates that the Department schedule inspections above the minimum required of coal mines, based on the comparative risks at each mine.
A risk assessment will be conducted for each active mine based on procedures developed with the assistance of the Industry Advisory Committee. The risk assessment results are used by the Division of Mines in accordance with Section 45.1-161.81 and 45.1-161.82 of the Coal Mine Safety Laws of Virginia to schedule inspection activities and effectively utilize resources of the Department. Underground mines are ranked each six months on January 1st and July 1st using the previous year's data. Surface mines will be ranked on July 1st. Risk assessment is calculated based on the following categories of mine data:
- Serious Injuries - based on the number of serious injuries investigated at mine/inspection hours;
- Violation Rate - number of violations/inspections hours;
- Failure to Abate/Imminent Danger - number of Closure Orders and inspection hours;
- Non-Fatal Days Lost (NFDL) Injury Rate - based on federal Mine Safety Health and Administration data; and
- Regular/Spot Inspection Rate - mine evaluation based on inspector review
The type and frequency of inspection's received by a mine will be determined by its overall score, in conjunction with the tables shown below:
Underground Mines
| Overall Score | Type/Frequency of Inspection | |
| 0-1 | 1 regular inspection | per 6 months |
| 2-4 | 1 regular, 1 spot inspection | per 6 months |
| 5-10 | 2 regular inspections | per 6 months |
| Fatality | 4 regular inspections | per year |
| New Mine | 4 regular inspections | per year |
Surface Mines
| 0-1 | 1 regular inspection | per year |
| 2-4 | 1 regular, 1 spot inspection | per year |
| 5-10 | 1 regular, 2 spot inspections | per year |
| Fatality | 2 regular inspections | per year |
| New Mine | 2 regular inspections | per year |