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.
No decisions match these filters
Try a different search term or clear the filters.
Rosebud Mining Co. v. Secretary of Labor
Rosebud Mining Co. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC PENN 2015-268 R, et al.): Single seal counted as a set requiring drainage
Rosebud proposed sealing an interconnected mine area with three seals at one location and a fourth seal 2,600 feet away and 123 feet lower, but planned a water drain only at the fourth seal. Judge Janet G. Harner held that the phrase "set of seals" in the drainage rule can include a single seal…
Secretary of Labor obo Jesse R. Stolzenfels v. Marion County Coal Company, and its successors
Secretary of Labor obo Jesse R. Stolzenfels v. Marion County Coal Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2016-0134-D): Economic reinstatement settlement remained binding
Marion County Coal did not request a hearing on Jesse Stolzenfels's temporary-reinstatement application and instead joined a settlement providing economic reinstatement. The agreement stated that payments would continue until MSHA declined the discrimination complaint or the matter reached a final…
Secretary of Labor obo Richard B. Harrison v. Marion County Coal Company, and its successors
Secretary of Labor obo Richard B. Harrison v. Marion County Coal Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2015-0811-D): Economic reinstatement agreement remained binding
Richard Harrison was initially ordered physically reinstated, but Marion County Coal and the Secretary later agreed to temporary economic reinstatement to avoid workplace disruption. Their agreement provided that payments would continue until MSHA declined the discrimination complaint or the case…
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Co. and McElroy Coal Co.
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Co. and McElroy Coal Co. (FMSHRC WEVA 2011-1314, et al.): $3.31 million global settlement approved
This global settlement covered 1,753 citations and orders in 132 civil-penalty dockets from five northern West Virginia underground coal mines acquired by Murray Energy from CONSOL Energy in December 2013. The citations had proposed penalties totaling $5,097,611 and addressed common…
Secretary of Labor v. Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company, LLC (FMSHRC PENN 2013-385): Bleeder-water violations affirmed with $29,116 penalty
Consol Pennsylvania Coal allowed water 12 to 42 inches deep to cover about 2,250 feet of an Enlow Fork Mine bleeder system, hiding uneven floor conditions and debris from examiners who traveled the route alone. The mine's ventilation plan required pumps to keep the bleeders safe for travel, and…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Richard B. Harrison v. Consolidation Coal Co.
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Richard B. Harrison v. Consolidation Coal Co. (FMSHRC WEVA 2015-811-D): Safety-based bonus protest supported temporary reinstatement
Richard Harrison was a beltman at the Loveridge No. 22 Mine who had previously filed a discrimination complaint and participated in Mine Act proceedings. In 2015, he raised concerns that a production-based bonus plan would encourage miners to put production ahead of safety, then returned a voided…
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-302, LAKE 2011-856): $642,196 settlement approved
MSHA cited Peabody Midwest Mining for failing to provide requested Part 50 information and later proposed a $4,000 daily penalty until the company complied. The underlying citation was affirmed by the Seventh Circuit, and the daily penalty accrued to approximately $2.76 million before Peabody said…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Carlton Johnson v. BASF Corporation
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Carlton Johnson v. BASF Corporation (FMSHRC SE 2015-201-DM): Economic temporary reinstatement approved
Carlton Johnson alleged that BASF discharged him after he raised concerns about unsafe electrical work and filed a safety complaint with MSHA. Judge Janet G. Harner found the complaint was not frivolously brought based on the special investigator's declaration. She ordered temporary reinstatement…
Secretary of Labor v. Sally Ann Coal Company, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Sally Ann Coal Company, Inc. (FMSHRC WEVA 2011-1028): Five litigated violations bring $32,017 penalty
MSHA issued orders involving newly hired experienced-miner training, roof-bolt spacing, a fractured boom-hole roof, a missing preshift examination, and weekly seal examinations at Sally Ann Coal's No. 2 Mine. Judge Janet G. Harner affirmed high-negligence S&S findings for the failure to train eight…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Jeromy Coots v. Lone Mountain Processing, Inc.
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Jeromy Coots v. Lone Mountain Processing, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2014-609-D): miner temporarily reinstated after roof-support complaint
Jeromy Coots alleged that Lone Mountain directed him to replace dislodged roof bolts in a 12-foot-high rehabilitation area without using an automated temporary roof-support system because setting it up took too long. He continued raising the issue, was struck and injured by falling material, and…
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.