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. Croell, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Croell, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0333): First misaddressed contest reopened
Croell intended to contest two citations but mailed the contest form with payment for four uncontested citations to MSHA's St. Louis lockbox instead of the contest office. It sent the paperwork about three weeks before the deadline and moved to reopen about three weeks after receiving a delinquency…
Secretary of Labor v. Canyon Fuel Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Canyon Fuel Company, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0184): Missed counsel referral reopened
Canyon Fuel failed to forward the relevant proposed penalties to counsel for the next step in contesting them. It sought reopening promptly after discovering the mistake. The Secretary withdrew her opposition to help facilitate a broader settlement involving other cases. The majority reopened the…
Secretary of Labor v. Envirotech Drilling, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Envirotech Drilling, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0121): Missing email explanation defeated reopening
Envirotech timely contested an assessment and later said it received no further correspondence until a delinquency letter. Records showed that MSHA's penalty petition and the Commission's show-cause order had both been sent to the safety manager's active email address. Envirotech did not identify…
Secretary of Labor v. CalPortland Company obo Grimes Rock, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. CalPortland Company obo Grimes Rock, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0334): Two appeals dismissed, one remained pending
Grimes Rock obtained Commission review of several related dockets in August 2024. CalPortland later notified the Commission that it had become the mine's operator and moved unopposed to dismiss two of the reviewed cases. The Commission amended the caption, vacated review in WEST 2023-0015 and WEST…
Secretary of Labor obo Alvaro Saldivar v. CalPortland Company obo Grimes Rock, Inc.
Secretary of Labor obo Alvaro Saldivar v. CalPortland Company o/b/o Grimes Rock, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2021-0178): Reinstatement appeal dismissed
This temporary-reinstatement case concerned miner Alvaro Saldivar and was under Commission review at Grimes Rock's request. CalPortland later notified the Commission that it had become the facility's operator and would appear on behalf of Grimes Rock. The Commission amended the caption to reflect…
American Tripoli v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. American Tripoli
American Tripoli v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. American Tripoli (FMSHRC CENT 2025-0086): Backpay-enforcement citation and order affirmed
An earlier discrimination decision ordered American Tripoli to pay former miner Robert Baumann back pay and interest. The company did not pay while Commission review was pending, even after the Commission denied its request to stay enforcement. MSHA issued a citation for failing to comply with the…
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2025-0180): Disciplinary briefing stayed
An administrative law judge referred a disciplinary matter involving counsel for Cactus Canyon Quarries from the related CENT 2023-0045 cases. The Commission opened a separate disciplinary docket, CENT 2025-0180. It then stayed further briefing on the disciplinary matter until a later Commission…
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0045): Jurisdiction briefing resumed
The Commission had stayed briefing in these eleven consolidated civil-penalty dockets in October 2024. It lifted that stay and directed the parties to resume briefing under Commission Rule 75. The specified issue was whether the stone-finishing plant qualifies as a mine subject to MSHA jurisdiction…
Wesley Mallery v. El Segundo Coal Company, LLC
Wesley Mallery v. El Segundo Coal Company, LLC (FMSHRC CENT 2024-0106): Miner discrimination complaint reinstated
Miner Wesley Mallery alleged that he raised workplace safety concerns and was immediately placed on administrative leave, followed by disability status at reduced pay. The judge dismissed his pro se discrimination case for failure to state a claim after issuing two show-cause orders. The Commission…
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Genesis Alkali, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0189): Unsupported settlements remained denied
A judge rejected proposed settlements covering 34 citations because major modifications and vacaturs lacked enough factual support. One proposal would have reduced a ventilation citation from S&S and fatal gravity to non-S&S and lost-workdays gravity, with a penalty cut from $12,007 to $729…
Secretary of Labor v. Certified Crane and Rigging Services, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Certified Crane and Rigging Services, LLC (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0264): Suspended-load citation modified and affirmed
Certified Crane left one end of a multi-ton shaker screen suspended while installation work paused, and two riggers stood about 18 inches from the load. The Judge held that the screen was an ordinary load rather than a component of the crane, so the originally cited raised-component standard did…
Secretary of Labor v. Cobleskill Stone Products, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cobleskill Stone Products, Inc. (FMSHRC YORK 2024-0055): Contest mailed with payment reopened
Cobleskill Stone Products paid two citations and intended to contest a third, but mailed the contest form with its payment to MSHA's St. Louis lockbox instead of the Arlington contest office. It moved to reopen within 30 days after the assessment became final. The Secretary did not oppose. The…
Secretary of Labor v. R.J. Valente Gravel, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. R.J. Valente Gravel, Inc. (FMSHRC YORK 2023-0115): Payment mooted reopened case
The Commission had reopened R.J. Valente Gravel's case, and the Secretary appealed that reopening order to the D.C. Circuit. The operator then accepted the citation and paid the full penalty, leading the court to dismiss the appeal as moot and return the matter to the Commission. After jurisdiction…
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2024-0194): Repeated filing failures barred reopening
Peabody's recently hired safety manager and a consultant decided to contest an assessment but did not know the filing procedure or who was responsible. The contest arrived late. The Commission noted that Peabody had filed two other reopening motions in recent years after different missed deadlines…
JMT Services, Inc.
Six citations vacated because workers were independent contractors
JMT Services supplied a crew for framing and roofing work at an airport hangar project in Chillicothe, Missouri. OSHA issued six citations covering eye protection, scaffold support, equipment safety, fall protection, ladders, and forklift training, with $30,675 in proposed penalties. The parties…
Avalos Home Improvements WI LLC
Contest dismissed after signed settlement
OSHA cited Avalos Home Improvements for four serious construction violations after employees were observed roofing without fall protection in New Berlin, Wisconsin. The company signed an expedited informal settlement agreement that reduced the proposed penalties from $13,828 to $9,679.60 and…
Prime International Shipping, LLC
Three serious warehouse violations affirmed
Prime International Shipping used a crew to load vehicles into overseas shipping containers at its Houston facility. OSHA cited an unprotected gap between the loading dock and containers, inadequate forklift training, and a chop saw with its guard tied back. Prime argued that the loading crew…
Secretary of Labor v. Carver Sand & Gravel, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Carver Sand & Gravel, LLC (FMSHRC YORK 2024-0049): Paid assessment could not be reopened
Carver Sand & Gravel sought to reopen an assessment after its contest was rejected as late. USPS records showed that a company representative signed for the assessment on March 9, 2024, making the contest due April 8, while Carver Sand asserted that it received the assessment on March 11. Before…
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 on behalf of Jamie M. Koslop v. Atlantic Carbon Group, Inc.
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Jamie M. Koslop v. Atlantic Carbon Group, Inc. (FMSHRC PENN 2025-0067): Miner temporarily reinstated after safety complaints
Jamie Koslop, a laborer at Atlantic Carbon's mines, alleged that he was fired after speaking with investigators following a fatal mine accident, reporting machinery and equipment hazards, seeking to become a miners' representative, and refusing a manlift assignment for which he said he lacked task…
Schindler Elevator Corporation
General-industry citations vacated for construction work
Schindler Elevator was replacing and upgrading 49 elevators at a Houston office tower under a project valued at more than $24 million. OSHA cited three serious violations under general-industry personal protective equipment and lockout-tagout standards, with $26,787 in proposed penalties. Schindler…
Planet Fitness
Late contest dismissed after citation was misplaced
OSHA cited a corporate Planet Fitness gym in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, for blocked exit routes and several electrical hazards, proposing $30,134 for four serious citation items with subparts. The certified citation was delivered to the gym and signed for on February 28, 2023, making March 21 the…
Trinity Solar LLC, as successor to Trinity Solar Inc.
Repeat residential fall-protection citation vacated
A Trinity Solar worker died after falling during residential solar-panel installation in South Orange, New Jersey. No one saw where the worker was or what he was doing immediately before the fall, and he was wearing a harness. OSHA cited Trinity for allegedly failing to provide fall protection…
Professional Security Consultants, Inc.
Mall workplace-violence citation vacated
A customer carried out a mass shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall, killing two people, including a security guard employed by Professional Security Consultants, and injuring several others. OSHA cited the security company under the General Duty Clause for allegedly failing to protect its guards…
Secretary of Labor v. Bluestone Oil Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Bluestone Oil Corporation (FMSHRC WEVA 2022-0176): Unsupported S&S removals rejected
Bluestone Oil’s proposed settlement covered twenty-four citations and would have reduced total penalties from $51,023 to $30,500. It also would have removed the significant-and-substantial designations from two citations without providing a factual justification. The Administrative Law Judge denied…
Greg Beeche Logistics
Suspension-scaffold support-line violation affirmed
Greg Beeche Logistics designed and supplied two-point suspension scaffolds for a high-rise curtain-wall replacement project in Boston. The scaffolds used automatic locking devices on the suspension ropes but lacked the separate independent support lines required when workers attach their…
Secretary of Labor obo Robert Baumann v. MOSenecaManufacturer, LLC d/b/a American Tripoli
Secretary of Labor obo Robert Baumann v. American Tripoli (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0251): Fabricated-case filings led to dismissal
After directing review, the Commission received an American Tripoli motion relying on purported cases that could not be identified from the citations provided. The Commission ordered the operator to submit copies, but it did not respond. A later show-cause response offered no explanation for that…
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Greenbrier Minerals, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2024-0163): One-day-late contest reopened
Greenbrier Minerals filed its penalty contest one day after the thirty-day deadline. It attributed the delay to its safety specialist’s unusually heavy workload, short staffing, and the death of the safety manager’s mother. Greenbrier sought reopening promptly, and the Secretary did not oppose. The…
Secretary of Labor v. Potter South East, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Potter South East, LLC (FMSHRC SE 2024-0080): Repeated deficient reopening motions denied
Potter South East sought to reopen three final penalty assessments with a one-sentence motion stating that the penalty amount was a surprise and that it had implemented corrective procedures. The motion did not explain why the contests were late or why Potter delayed after receiving delinquency…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Timothy Barnes and Brandon Hall v. Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Timothy Barnes and Brandon Hall v. Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC (FMSHRC SE 2021-0152): Retaliatory discipline and terminations remedied
Timothy Barnes and Brandon Hall operated a longwall shearer at Warrior Met's No. 7 Mine and were disciplined after running it more slowly than management directed under conditions they believed were unsafe. They were placed on probation and later terminated near the end of that probation after a…
Secretary of Labor v. Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0151): Due-date mistake justified reopening
Tata Chemicals retrieved a proposed assessment from its post office four days after delivery and calculated the contest deadline from the pickup date. Its contest of the unpaid penalties was five days late under the actual delivery date. Tata supplemented its reopening motion to explain the…
Secretary of Labor v. L Rock Industries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. L Rock Industries, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2023-0348): Vague mail explanation did not reopen default
L Rock Industries defaulted after failing to answer a penalty petition and the Chief Judge’s order to show cause. It sought reopening by stating that it had mailed a conference request and had experienced confusion receiving MSHA mail after an ownership change. The Secretary responded that the…
Secretary of Labor v. Blanchard Machinery Co.
Secretary of Labor v. Blanchard Machinery Co. (FMSHRC SE 2024-0113): Unknown recipient justified reopening
Blanchard Machinery sought to reopen a penalty assessment that it said it never received. The assessment was addressed to an employee with no mining or safety duties and signed for by a person whom neither Blanchard nor its carrier employed at the time. Blanchard investigated promptly after…
Secretary of Labor v. Blanchard Machinery Co.
Secretary of Labor v. Blanchard Machinery Co. (FMSHRC SE 2024-0113): Unknown recipient supported reopening
Blanchard Machinery sought to reopen a penalty assessment that it said it never received. The assessment was addressed to an employee with no mining or safety duties and signed for by a person whom neither Blanchard nor its carrier employed at the time. Blanchard investigated promptly after…
Exxon Mobil Baytown Refinery
One mental-illness recordkeeping instance affirmed
A pipe rupture at ExxonMobil's Baytown refinery caused an explosion that injured three contractors and a fire that burned for nearly eight hours. Three process technicians who responded later received mental-illness diagnoses and missed work, but ExxonMobil declined to record the cases on its OSHA…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Paul Kirk v. CEMEX Construction Materials Florida, LLC
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Paul Kirk v. CEMEX Construction Materials Florida, LLC (FMSHRC SE 2023-0007): Discipline for kiln-dust complaint found discriminatory
Paul Kirk, an electrician and union president at CEMEX's cement plant, raised concerns about hot dust escaping from a kiln and interrupted a management meeting when he believed the problem had not been addressed. MSHA inspected after an anonymous complaint and cited the plant for kiln conditions…
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2023-0139): Roof-control order affirmed and citation modified
MSHA issued an order and a citation after two separate roof falls at Peabody's underground coal mine struck miners in December 2022. For the first incident, the Judge found that Peabody exceeded width limits in its approved roof-control plan and failed to take added measures for visible adverse…
Secretary of Labor v. Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2024-0151): Due-date mistake supported reopening
Tata Chemicals retrieved a proposed assessment from its post office four days after delivery and calculated the contest deadline from the pickup date. Its contest of the unpaid penalties was five days late under the actual delivery date. Tata supplemented its reopening motion to explain the…
Secretary of Labor v. W.G. Yates & Son’s Construction Company
Secretary of Labor v. W.G. Yates & Son’s Construction Company (FMSHRC SE 2023-0094): Hot-work fire citation affirmed before Commission review
W.G. Yates was cutting steel in a phosphate mine building when hot slag entered an uncovered drain and ignited rubber lining inside a discharge pipe. The fire burned for about 17 minutes, produced thick black smoke, and resisted six fire extinguishers before the mine's emergency team put it out…
Secretary of Labor obo Robert Baumann v. MOSenecaManufacturer, LLC dba American Tripoli
Secretary of Labor obo Robert Baumann v. American Tripoli (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0251): Missing case copies prompted a show-cause order
American Tripoli filed a motion that relied on cases the Commission could not identify from the information provided. The Commission ordered the operator to submit copies of those cases by December 6, 2024, but it received no response. The Commission explained that it has discretion to vacate…
Secretary of Labor v. St. Mary's Cement
Secretary of Labor v. St. Marys Cement U.S. LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2025-0084): Timely all-penalties contest required remand
St. Marys timely returned a proposed-assessment form and checked the box stating that it contested every listed violation. It did not also check the individual boxes beside several penalties, and MSHA later issued a delinquency notice for those items. The Commission held that the assessment never…
Secretary of Labor v. St. Mary's Cement
Secretary of Labor v. St. Marys Cement (FMSHRC LAKE 2023-0265): Paid settlement made reopening moot
MSHA proposed $85,461 in penalties, and St. Marys timely contested them before agreeing to a settlement that reduced the amount to $67,025. The operator paid the full settlement amount after receiving a delinquency notice. St. Marys nevertheless moved to reopen, but it identified no mistake or…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Michael Cook v. Panther Creek Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Michael Cook v. Panther Creek Mining, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2023-0337): Part 90 miner awarded lost pay
Michael Cook exercised his Part 90 right to transfer away from excessive coal-dust exposure, moving from a ten-hour continuous-miner-operator schedule to an eight-hour mine-examiner schedule. Panther Creek kept his hourly wage unchanged, but Cook worked 13 fewer hours and lost $761.67 before a…
Johnson Brass & Machine Foundry, Inc.
Fall and lockout violations affirmed
Johnson Brass operated pit-mounted centrifugal casting machines at its Wisconsin foundry. An employee was seriously injured when his clothing caught on a rotating die while he cleaned it from inside a spinner pit. OSHA cited fall protection, lockout-tagout, training, and machine-guarding violations…
Secretary of Labor v. JDI Industrial
Secretary of Labor v. JDI Industrial (FMSHRC SE 2024-0109): Refused assessment and legal mistake defeated reopening
JDI Industrial sought to reopen five recordkeeping penalties after delivery of the proposed assessment was refused and the contest deadline passed. Its safety director had worked with MSHA to correct the violations and mistakenly believed that abatement meant no penalties would be issued. The…
Quick Roofing, LLC
Repeat ladder-access violation affirmed
Quick Roofing employees used an extension ladder to reach the roof of a three-story apartment building under construction in Winter Garden, Florida. OSHA photographs showed that the ladder extended only about 24 inches above the roof rather than the required three feet. Even if a rope visible in…
Secretary of Labor v. Road & Rail Services
Secretary of Labor v. Road & Rail Services (FMSHRC SE 2024-0064): Prompt action supported reopening
Road & Rail missed a penalty contest deadline after several problems converged, including a missing copy of the citation, illness of its safety director, difficulty interviewing involved people, and the Thanksgiving holiday. The Secretary did not oppose reopening but urged the operator to prevent…
Secretary of Labor v. Georgetown Sand & Gravel, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Georgetown Sand & Gravel, Inc. (FMSHRC PENN 2024-0020): Unreliable processing defeated reopening
Georgetown Sand filed its penalty contest after the 30-day deadline and blamed an oversight and a communication breakdown between its president and office manager. The Secretary opposed reopening because the explanation lacked details and the operator had recently filed another reopening motion…
Secretary of Labor v. St. Mary's Cement
Secretary of Labor v. St. Marys Cement (FMSHRC LAKE 2024-0086): Repeated processing failures defeated reopening
St. Marys missed a penalty contest deadline because its plant manager emailed the assessment to general counsel but omitted outside counsel. The operator attributed the mistake to safety-department turnover and explained that its general counsel, who was distracted by a family death, did not notice…
Secretary of Labor v. AA Quarry, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. AA Quarry, LLC (FMSHRC CENT 2024-0093): Misdirected contest form supported reopening
AA Quarry intended to contest one of ten citations and pay the other nine, but it mailed the contest form with its payment to the wrong MSHA location. The Secretary confirmed the timely payment and did not oppose reopening the contested citation. The Commission found that the misdirected form was…
Secretary of Labor v. The National Lime and Stone Company
Secretary of Labor v. The National Lime and Stone Company (FMSHRC LAKE 2024-0064): One portable-crusher citation affirmed and two vacated
National Lime operates a portable crusher that moves among several of its Ohio mines and carries its own MSHA Mine ID. MSHA cited the company for lacking a crusher-specific hazard-communication program, training plan, and workplace-examination record. The Judge held that National's existing company…
Secretary of Labor v. Belt Tech., Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Belt Tech., Inc. (FMSHRC WEVA 2024-0036): Nonreceipt prevented the assessment from becoming final
MSHA mailed a proposed assessment to Belt Tech's correct address, but the Postal Service returned it to MSHA 13 minutes after receiving it. Belt Tech never received the assessment and later contacted MSHA about the penalties. The Commission held that the 30-day contest period never began, so the…
Secretary of Labor v. Nelson Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Nelson Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0185): Wrong email address prevented a final default
Nelson Quarries sought relief from a default entered after it appeared not to answer the Secretary's penalty petition. The operator said it never received the petition, and the Secretary confirmed that both the petition and the Commission's show-cause order were sent to an incorrect email address…
Secretary of Labor v. Geneva Rock Products, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Geneva Rock Products, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0097): Indefinite criminal-investigation stay was vacated
This penalty case followed a fatal ground-collapse accident involving a haul truck at Geneva Rock's Hansen Pit, with MSHA proposing $381,500 for one citation and three orders. The ALJ stayed the civil case indefinitely while the Department of Justice considered a parallel criminal investigation…
Secretary of Labor v. Explosive Contractors, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Explosive Contractors, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2024-0122): Persistent conference efforts supported reopening
Explosive Contractors missed its penalty contest deadline while waiting for MSHA to act on a conference request it had pursued by phone and email for months. The operator promptly sought a formal hearing and reopening after learning that the conference request had been denied, and the Secretary did…
Avadek, Inc.
Competent-person inspection citation vacated
Avadek installed an entrance canopy at a sports and event center in Bryan, Texas. During later quality-control work, a foreman died after falling from the canopy, and OSHA cited Avadek for allegedly failing to maintain frequent and regular competent-person inspections. The judge found that Avadek's…
Sofidel America Corp.
Rewinder lockout and training violations affirmed
Sofidel operated a paper-products rewinder at its Circleville, Ohio, facility, where operators routinely entered the machine and used its jogging controls to clear jams. An employee's hand was caught between a moving roller and a guide plate while two employees cleared a jam, causing a degloving…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Alvaro Saldivar v. Grimes Rock, Inc.
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Alvaro Saldivar v. Grimes Rock, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2021-0178): Temporary-reinstatement payments calculated on remand
The Commission remanded this long-running temporary-reinstatement matter to calculate what Grimes Rock still owed Alvaro Saldivar after an earlier enforcement order and to determine interest on late payments. The Judge treated the Commission's prior rulings as settled and rejected Grimes Rock's…
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2024-0120): Premature interlocutory petition denied
Cactus Canyon asked the Commission to review an ALJ order that denied its motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. No merits hearing had occurred, and the Commission had not issued a final decision. The Commission therefore treated the filing as a…
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.