Federal agency decisions, searchable in plain English.
Workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) and mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), each with a plain-English summary, the standards it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.
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Secretary of Labor v. Doe Run Co.
Secretary of Labor v. Doe Run Co. (FMSHRC CENT 2025-0167): Pressure-vessel citation affirmed
Doe Run operates an underground lead, copper, and zinc mine where a 250-gallon pressurized water tank on a drill had not been inspected by a certified National Board inspector during roughly 20 years of use. MSHA cited 30 C.F.R. § 57.13015(a), and Doe Run argued that a 2004 National Board document…
Secretary of Labor v. Iron Mountain Quarry LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Iron Mountain Quarry LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0218): Impact-inspection citations largely affirmed
MSHA issued numerous citations during an impact inspection of Iron Mountain's quarry, including housekeeping violations, falling-material hazards under conveyor belts, an unsafe sagging catwalk, and a missing electrical cover plate. After a two-day hearing, the Judge credited the inspectors'…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Brek Pinkerton v. RMC Mining Development, LLC, et al.
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Brek Pinkerton v. RMC Mining Development, LLC, et al. (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0114): Discrimination default and damages ordered
The Secretary brought a Mine Act discrimination case for miner Brek Pinkerton against RMC Mining Development, American Mining Properties, Russ Myers, and Matthew Head. The respondents repeatedly failed to answer, participate in discovery, attend depositions, respond to show-cause orders, or oppose…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Guillermo Ortiz v. Kilauea Crushers
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Guillermo Ortiz v. Kilauea Crushers (FMSHRC WEST 2023-0281): Discrimination complaint dismissed
Guillermo Ortiz alleged that Kilauea Crushers fired him after he raised concerns about cleaning near allegedly unguarded equipment. The Judge found that Ortiz's requests to use a skid-steer or lock out the plants were protected safety activity and that the termination followed closely enough to…
Secretary of Labor v. Gentry Mountain Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Gentry Mountain Mining, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0064): Safety findings affirmed and penalties increased
MSHA cited Gentry Mountain's underground coal mine for loose ribs along a haulage way, a come-along missing safety latches, a Jeep parked beneath the lifeline in the primary escapeway, and two nonfunctioning methane monitors. The Judge affirmed the loose-rib citation as significant and substantial…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Shaun Chapman v. Buchanan Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Shaun Chapman v. Buchanan Minerals, LLC (FMSHRC VA 2025-0026): Miner temporarily reinstated
Shaun Chapman, a roof bolter at Buchanan Mine, alleged that he raised safety concerns about rib support and dust conditions before Buchanan Minerals suspended and terminated him over alleged misuse of a personal dust monitor. The Secretary sought his temporary reinstatement while the discrimination…
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0287): Fire, ventilation, monitoring, cable, and ground-control citations split
The case addressed citations arising from a loader fire, smoke crossing an evacuation route, an atmospheric monitoring outage, a failed high-voltage cable splice, and loose ground above a traveled area at Morton Salt's underground mine. The judge affirmed S&S citations for allowing the known…
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0009): Ground-control and access citations upheld
Five litigated citations at Morton Salt's Weeks Island underground mine concerned loose ground, inadequate ground examinations, unsafe access near washouts, and folded matting in a passageway. The judge affirmed all five violations and their significant and substantial designations. Four were…
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc. & Quinn Norwood
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt and Quinn Norwood (FMSHRC CENT 2022-0135): Blasting violation and individual liability affirmed
Morton Salt initiated three explosive rounds at its underground Weeks Island salt mine while four contractors remained underground and their tags still showed them in the mine. The judge affirmed a violation of 30 C.F.R. § 57.22601(a), finding that the incident was significant and substantial…
Secretary of Labor v. Thunder Basin Coal Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Thunder Basin Coal Company (FMSHRC WEST 2023-0157): Ground-control-plan citation vacated
MSHA cited Thunder Basin Coal after an inspector saw dozer and haul-truck tire marks near a berm at the Black Thunder Mine and concluded that the ground control plan did not adequately address rollover and breakthrough hazards. Mine witnesses testified that the berm was stable, the tire impressions…
Secretary of Labor v. Billy Cooper Stone Co., Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Billy Cooper Stone Co. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0216): Guarding and berm citations affirmed with reductions
MSHA cited Billy Cooper Stone for operating a stone splitter without required guards and for a missing berm along a narrow mine road with an eight-foot drop-off. The judge found evidence that the splitter had been used unguarded and held that the company remained responsible for road safety where…
Secretary of Labor v. Billy Cooper Stone Co., Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Billy Cooper Stone Co. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0216): Original guarding and berm decision later amended
MSHA cited Billy Cooper Stone for an unguarded stone splitter and a missing berm along a narrow road with an eight-foot drop-off. The judge affirmed both citations but reduced negligence to low for each and changed the berm citation to unlikely injury and non-S&S. He assessed $350 for the guarding…
Secretary of Labor obo Jimmy Lee Hoover v. Mosenecamanufacturer, LLC dba American Tripoli
Secretary of Labor obo Jimmy Lee Hoover v. American Tripoli (FMSHRC CENT 2024-0024): Temporary reinstatement ordered
Jimmy Lee Hoover testified that he declined to open an electrical breaker box and reach inside after the external reset failed because he believed the task was unsafe. American Tripoli terminated him the following day and argued that the discharge resulted from prior performance, attendance…
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Morton Salt (FMSHRC CENT 2022-0176): Mixed ruling on training, ground, escape, and storage citations
The judge resolved seven contested citations and orders from an inspection of Morton Salt's Weeks Island Mine and approved settlement of seven others. He vacated three training orders because the documented instruction on the Femco warning system was adequate, and he vacated a ventilation-door…
Todd Descutner v. Nevada Gold Mines LLC
Todd Descutner v. Nevada Gold Mines LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0201): Discrimination complaint dismissed
Todd Descutner complained to Nevada Gold Mines about mask use and social distancing on buses carrying miners to the Leeville Mine, then received progressive discipline and was ultimately discharged after damaging property while moving a loader. Applying the Ninth Circuit's but-for causation…
Morton Salt, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor
Morton Salt, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0069): Standalone POV-notice docket dismissed
MSHA issued Morton Salt a pattern-of-violations notice and later nine section 104(e) withdrawal orders. Morton contested the withdrawal orders and referenced the POV notice in each contest but acknowledged that it had not directly contested the notice itself. Under Commission precedent, a POV…
Secretary of Labor v. Geneva Rock Products, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Geneva Rock Products, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0097): Seven-month stay lifted despite possible criminal investigation
MSHA issued four violations after investigating a fatal accident at Geneva Rock's Hansen Pit, and the civil penalty case was stayed while possible individual and criminal investigations remained unresolved. After seven months, the Secretary moved to lift the stay because MSHA would not pursue…
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2021-0090): Brake alarm violation affirmed, wiper citations vacated
Cactus Canyon Quarries operates a small Texas mine that produces marble for the terrazzo industry. Judge David P. Simonton found that a dump truck's nonfunctioning low brake-pressure alarm violated the rule requiring every braking-system component to remain functional, even though the truck's…
Secretary of Labor v. P.W. Gillibrand of Texas, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. P.W. Gillibrand of Texas, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2021-0104): Missing fire-warning sign violation affirmed
P.W. Gillibrand of Texas operates the Voca West sand plant in Texas. MSHA cited the mine because its grease station lacked a visible sign prohibiting smoking and open flames. Judge David P. Simonton found a fire hazard because an open drip barrel contained combustible paper and rags beside grease…
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC and Secretary of Labor v. Michael Butler, employed by Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC and Michael Butler (FMSHRC LAKE 2019-0361): Methane orders affirmed and examination order modified
A contractor's drill breached old mine workings at Peabody Midwest Mining's Francisco Mine and released methane that repeatedly registered above five percent. Mine manager Michael Butler allowed six miners to continue pulling drill rods with the drill energized for at least 30 minutes despite the…
Secretary of Labor obo Jacob Hamilton v. Small Mine Development
Secretary of Labor obo Jacob Hamilton v. Small Mine Development (FMSHRC WEST 2021-0069): After-acquired evidence excluded from reinstatement hearing
Before Jacob Hamilton's temporary-reinstatement hearing, the Secretary sought to exclude evidence that would create credibility conflicts or support Small Mine Development's rebuttal and affirmative defenses. Judge David Simonton held that the operator could present relevant testimony and documents…
Pete Tartaglia, Jr. v. Freeport-McMoRan Bagdad, Inc.
Pete Tartaglia, Jr. v. Freeport-McMoRan Bagdad, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2019-0382-DM): Accounting and training claims did not prove discrimination
Pete Tartaglia alleged that Freeport-McMoRan Bagdad breached an earlier settlement, improperly recouped money from his pay, and disciplined him in retaliation for Mine Act activity. Judge David Simonton found that the company fulfilled the settlement and that the payroll deductions recovered a…
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2017-0450): Refuge-chamber penalty reduced on remand
Peabody Midwest violated its emergency response plan by placing one refuge chamber in the direct line of sight of the working face. On review of an earlier ALJ ruling, the Commission removed the significant-and-substantial designation because more than 15 miners were present only during shift…
Theodore Oesau v. Rogers Group, Inc.
Theodore Oesau v. Rogers Group, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2019-0276 DM): Harassment finding defeated retaliation claim
Theodore Oesau alleged that Rogers Group fired him after he raised numerous equipment and workplace safety concerns at its Arkansas quarry. Judge David Simonton found that the complaints were protected and that management knowledge, possible hostility, and close timing supported an initial…
Secretary of Labor v. Bragg Crane Service
Secretary of Labor v. Bragg Crane Service (FMSHRC WEST 2019-0303): Suspended-load penalty reduced to $200
Bragg Crane Service used a crane to move a 40,000-pound hopper at Spanish Springs Pit #6. Judge David Simonton found that a Bragg employee briefly entered the established 10-foot fall zone around the suspended load, violating the rule that persons stay clear of suspended loads, but the evidence did…
What these documents are
- Commission decisions: Rulings by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission itself, the highest level of agency review. These are citable as Commission precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by OSHRC Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.
- Why finality matters: Every page here says which kind of decision you are reading, so you know whether it is precedent you can cite or a final order that only shows how one judge ruled on one set of facts.
- Where they come from: Every page links the official OSHRC public release, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.