Federal Agency Decisions
Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB), each with a plain-English summary, the law it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.
No decisions match these filters
Try fewer or different words, check the spelling, or clear the filters to browse everything.
E.E. and Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint, San Francisco, CA
E.E. (ECAB 15-1072): Call-out operator job supported reduced benefits
E.E., a former U.S. Mint coin checker, received wage-loss benefits for accepted right arm, wrist, and hand tendinitis. OWCP reduced her benefits after a vocational counselor identified a call-out operator position paying $400 a week. The counselor found the job reasonably available in her commuting…
Secretary of Labor v. Drilling and Blasting Systems, Inc.
Drill-attendance citations vacated
MSHA cited Drilling and Blasting Systems twice because a drill operator left the cab while the drill continued operating nearby. The Secretary interpreted the rule requiring drills to be attended as requiring the operator to remain within arm's reach of the controls. The Commission rejected that…
Secretary of Labor obo Lawrence D. Hagene v. Prairie State Generating Co., LLC and GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance, Inc.
Temporary reinstatement denied
Lawrence Hagene worked for contractor GMS as an electrician at Prairie State's Lively Grove Mine. After a roof fall damaged a 995-volt trailing cable, Hagene removed his personal lock and approved tag near the end of his shift and left a makeshift paper warning on the cable cathead. GMS terminated…
T.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chicago, IL
T.D. (ECAB 16-0133): Conflicting wrist ratings required an impartial exam
T.D., a postal mail processor, had accepted left wrist tenosynovitis and a ganglion cyst. After surgery, he sought a schedule award for permanent impairment. His examining surgeon rated the left arm at two percent, while an OWCP medical adviser rated it at zero percent under the sixth edition of…
J.K. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, NY
J.K. (ECAB 16-0109): Store fall on lunch break lacked duty connection
J.K., an Army Corps secretary, reported a back injury from a fall at a department store during her lunch break. Employer statements said she slipped in a dressing room while trying on clothes, away from the workplace. OWCP asked her to explain where she was and what she was doing, but she did not…
T.M. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Atlanta, GA
T.M. (ECAB 16-0026): Five percent leg impairment award upheld
T.M., a transportation security officer, had accepted back and left leg conditions after a work injury, including a lumbar disc herniation, radiculopathy, and foot drop. OWCP awarded her five percent permanent impairment of the left leg based on residual weakness associated with a spinal nerve…
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Arlington Heights, IL
R.S. (ECAB 15-1364): Snow shoveling symptoms lacked diagnosed injury
R.S., a postal custodian, became dizzy, light-headed, and short of breath while shoveling snow at work. OWCP accepted that the work incident occurred and paid limited initial medical expenses, but later denied the injury claim. Hospital reports described symptoms and other medical conditions…
D.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Hindenwood Post Office, Richmond, VA
D.W. (ECAB 15-1225): Witness statements required a new merits review
D.W., a postal carrier, claimed an emotional condition caused by a supervisor’s alleged harassment and disciplinary interviews. OWCP denied the claim, then refused to reopen it when he submitted coworker statements. The Board found that the new statements described specific encounters with the…
C.L. and U.S. Peace Corps, Office of Medical Services, Nairobi, Kenya
C.L. (ECAB 14-1069): Additional conditions and past wage loss unproved
C.L., a former Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, had accepted inflammatory polyarthritis and Sjögren’s conditions. She sought acceptance of reactive arthritis and fibromyalgia and wage-loss benefits for a period several years after her service. The Board found that the claimed additional conditions…
Secretary of Labor v. Castle Valley Mining, LLC
Mailed penalty contest reopened
Castle Valley Mining failed to contest a proposed penalty assessment within 30 days, causing it to become a final Commission order. The company asserted in a revised motion and supporting affidavit that it had timely sent the contest by first-class mail, although MSHA had no record of receiving it…
Secretary of Labor v. United States Steel Corporation
Two misdirected contests reopened
U.S. Steel failed to complete timely contests of two proposed penalty assessments, causing them to become final Commission orders. The company said it had prepared the contests on time but sent them to MSHA's payment center instead of the Civil Penalty Compliance Office. U.S. Steel retrained its…
Secretary of Labor v. KenAmerican Resources, Inc.
Misdirected penalty contest reopened
KenAmerican Resources failed to contest a proposed penalty assessment within 30 days, causing it to become a final Commission order. The employee who normally handled MSHA contests was out of the office for a serious medical issue, and an inexperienced substitute sent the contest to MSHA's payment…
Jones Bros Mfg, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor
Late imminent-danger contest allowed
Jones Bros sought review of an imminent-danger withdrawal order after the 30-day contest deadline had passed. The company had timely contested a related citation but said it lacked prior experience and did not understand that the withdrawal order had a separate deadline. Counsel later explained the…
L.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Portland, OR
L.M. (ECAB 16-0143): Mail handling proved, wrist causation unproved
L.M., a postal carrier, said years of holding and grasping mail with his left hand caused severe left wrist arthritis and deformity. OWCP denied his occupational disease claim because it found the described work activities unproved. The Board accepted his detailed account that he regularly used his…
J.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Madison, WI
J.L. (ECAB 16-0023): Leg injury denial and reconsideration refusal upheld
J.L., a postal carrier, felt pain in her right leg while going down steps on her route. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied her injury claim. The Board held that her physician diagnosed a leg sprain or strain without explaining how walking down the steps caused it. On…
C.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Juan, PR
C.P. (ECAB 16-0018): Administrative leave claim lacked a covered work factor
C.P., a postal human resources employee, attributed depression and anxiety to a lengthy period of paid administrative leave during an investigation of his conduct. OWCP denied his emotional condition claim. The Board held that investigations and leave decisions are personnel matters that can…
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Stratford, CT
C.B. (ECAB 16-0008): Late reconsideration showed no clear error
C.B., a postal carrier with accepted arm and shoulder injuries, had her compensation terminated in 2007 after OWCP found that she refused suitable modified work. She sought reconsideration of the termination in 2015, long after the one-year filing period. The Board held that her arguments and later…
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Trenton Carrier Annex, Yardville, NJ
R.S. (ECAB 15-0476): Continued disability claim returned for medical review
R.S., a postal carrier, had an accepted lower back injury and an accepted recurrence of disability beginning in May 2009. OWCP paid wage-loss compensation through April 9, 2010 but denied further compensation. The Board found that the chosen end date followed a claim form’s date range, not a…
N.T. and General Services Administration, Public Building Services, Kansas City, MO
N.T. (ECAB 14-0694 and 15-0319): Benefit termination and filing bar upheld
N.T., a General Services Administration property manager, had an accepted single episode of aggravated hypertension connected to a 2005 performance review. He sought acceptance of anxiety and aggravated Asperger’s disorder, continued benefits after February 2012, and review of a separate…
S.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Kansas City, MO
S.L. (ECAB 15-0247): Four percent left arm award affirmed
S.L., a postal carrier, sought a larger schedule award for accepted left shoulder conditions. Her treating surgeon found that she had reached maximum medical improvement but did not rate her permanent impairment under the sixth edition of the A.M.A. Guides. OWCP’s referral physician rated the left…
Sammy-Mar, LLC
In re Sammy-Mar, LLC (EAB UIC Appeal No. 15-02): Brine-well permit challenge denied
EPA Region 3 issued Sammy-Mar, LLC a Class II-D Underground Injection Control permit for a brine-disposal well in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Shawn Agosti raised concerns about geologic data, seismic events, responsibility for replacing drinking-water wells, effects on traffic and property…
City of Nashua Wastewater Treatment Facility
In re City of Nashua Wastewater Treatment Facility (EAB NPDES Appeal No. 15-06): petition dismissed with prejudice after settlement
The City of Nashua, New Hampshire, sought review of conditions in an NPDES permit authorizing discharges from its Wastewater Treatment Facility and nine Combined Sewer Overflows into the Merrimack and Nashua Rivers. EPA Region 1 later withdrew portions of the permit, and the parties entered…
Folger v. SimplexGrinnell, LLC
Folger v. SimplexGrinnell (DOL ARB 15-021): Dismissal of whistleblower claim affirmed
Keith Folger said SimplexGrinnell fired him for raising concerns about alleged financial misconduct. A Labor Department judge dismissed his Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower complaint after finding that those concerns did not contribute to the termination. The Board held that substantial evidence…
F.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Manager International Service Center, Los Angeles, CA
F.D. (ECAB 16-0183): Mail handler injury denial affirmed
F.D., a postal mail handler, reported left knee, foot, and elbow injuries while loading mail on March 29, 2015. OWCP accepted that the work incident happened but found that the medical record did not establish a resulting injury. The Board found that one physician checked a form without explaining…
B.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Birmingham, AL
B.H. (ECAB 16-0054): Repetitive hand condition claim denied
B.H., a postal retail clerk, attributed carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger fingers to years of repetitive mail handling and counter work. Her treating surgeon diagnosed the conditions and at times called them work related. The Board found that his supporting reports did not explain how the specific…
D.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tampa, FL
D.M. (ECAB 15-1748): Late reconsideration request denied
D.M., a postal letter carrier, challenged OWCP’s termination of benefits for accepted knee conditions. Her representative asked OWCP to reconsider more than a year after its last merit decision and said an earlier request had been sent. The Board found no record that OWCP received the earlier…
D.P. and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD
D.P. (ECAB 15-1325): Back injury claim denied for lack of medical link
D.P., a Nuclear Regulatory Commission civil rights specialist, reported back pain after lifting a box of documents at work on June 1, 2011. OWCP accepted that the lifting incident occurred and that he had diagnosed back conditions. The Board found that most physicians did not address whether the…
S.M. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Baltimore, MD
S.M. (ECAB 15-1236): Benefit reduction for missed rehabilitation affirmed
S.M., a former Coast Guard ship fitter with an accepted work injury, stopped cooperating with OWCP’s vocational rehabilitation program. OWCP warned that it would reduce his benefits unless he resumed participation or showed good cause. The Board found that the submitted medical reports did not show…
C.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Springhill, FL
C.R. (ECAB 15-0501): Disability denial and sprain benefit termination affirmed
C.R., a postal rural carrier associate, sought wage-loss benefits for September 22, 2012 through June 7, 2013 and continued medical benefits for accepted spine sprains. The Board found that her physicians did not adequately explain how the accepted work conditions caused disability during the…
Secretary of Labor v. West Alabama Sand & Gravel, Inc.
Penalty-factor briefing ordered after remand
A customer truck driver climbed onto a loaded trailer without fall protection at West Alabama Sand & Gravel's mine. After the Commission vacated the Judge's earlier removal of the unwarrantable-failure designation, the operator stipulated that the violation involved high negligence and…
H.S. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Big Spring, TX
H.S. (ECAB 16-0181): Fall injury claim denied for lack of medical evidence
H.S., a Bureau of Prisons nurse, reported slipping on a waxed floor at work and injuring her left wrist, finger, and upper back. OWCP accepted that the June 2014 fall occurred. The Board found no competent medical evidence diagnosing a resulting condition or linking one to the fall. A medical bill…
L.G. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Audie L. Murphy Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Antonio, TX
L.G. (ECAB 15-1790): Recurrence claim denied for lack of medical proof
L.G., a Veterans Affairs medical technologist, had several accepted lower back conditions and claimed a new period of disability beginning November 8, 2013. She attributed later cardiac and other symptoms to treatment for the accepted injuries. The Board found that the record lacked contemporaneous…
Secretary of Labor v. Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC
Direct challenge to pattern notice dismissed
MSHA issued Pocahontas Coal a pattern-of-violations notice based on 36 citations and orders concerning roof, rib, emergency-preparedness, and escapeway hazards. Pocahontas directly contested the notice before the Commission, separate from later withdrawal orders issued under the pattern provisions…
Jeffrey L. Nixon d/b/a EarthEcycle, EarthEcycle, LLC, EarthEcycle, LLP, AABC Computer and Electronics Recycling, AABC Computer Company, Earth Computer and Electronics Recycling, United Recyclers of America
In re Jeffrey L. Nixon d/b/a EarthEcycle and related entities (EAB RCRA Appeal No. 16-01C): consent agreement ratified
Jeffrey L. Nixon and related electronic recycling businesses entered a Consent Agreement with EPA in a RCRA penalty matter. The Environmental Appeals Board incorporated the agreement into its Final Order and ratified it under the Consolidated Rules of Practice. The respondent was ordered to comply…
Secretary of Labor v. Brdaric Excavating, Inc.
Off-site garage covered by the Mine Act
Brdaric Excavating operated Buck Mountain Quarry and also owned a garage about one mile away that primarily serviced equipment used in its excavation and demolition business. The garage nevertheless repaired quarry vehicles and equipment, stored charging equipment used on quarry vehicles, and…
F.S. and Department of Agriculture, National Forest Service, Albuquerque, NM
F.S. (ECAB 15-1884): Schedule award denied for unrated member impairment
F.S., a Forest Service equipment operator, sustained accepted injuries when he jumped from a rolling all-terrain vehicle. He later sought a schedule award for permanent impairment. His physician described left rib pain and gave a three percent whole person rating, but did not identify a permanent…
M.M. and Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command Centers, China Lake, CA
M.M. (ECAB 15-1724): Long-distance treatment travel reimbursement denied
M.M., a Navy information technology specialist, sought reimbursement for trips to medical providers more than 100 miles roundtrip from her home. OWCP paid for travel up to 100 miles but declined the additional distance. The Board found that she had not shown why treatment at the more distant…
D.P. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Corrections Institute, Salters, SC
D.P. (ECAB 15-1601): Wage-loss claim after alternate duty declined
D.P., a correctional officer, sustained an accepted lower back sprain and worked a temporary assignment at full pay. When the prison changed the assignment to an overnight schedule, he declined it and sought wage-loss benefits. The Board found that the proposed work accommodated the documented…
F.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Washington, DC
F.C. (ECAB 14-1095): Knee tear, disability, and reconsideration denials affirmed
F.C., a postal letter carrier, had an accepted knee contusion and aggravation of patellofemoral osteoarthritis after striking his knee on steps. He sought acceptance of meniscus tears and wage-loss benefits for May through September 2013. The Board credited an OWCP referral physician who explained…
Secretary of Labor v. Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC
Direct safeguard challenges dismissed
MSHA issued five mine-specific safeguard notices governing transportation at Pocahontas Coal's Affinity Mine. Pocahontas directly contested the notices before any citation alleged a violation of them. The Commission majority held that safeguard notices function as mine-specific mandatory standards…
Secretary of Labor v. BCJ Sand & Rock, Inc.
Prompt reopening request granted over dissent
BCJ Sand & Rock failed to contest a proposed penalty assessment within 30 days. The company said employees handling MSHA matters did not notify management, it was unfamiliar with the contest process, and it sought reopening less than 30 days after the assessment became final. The Secretary did not…
Resolution Copper Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Resolution Copper Mining, LLC
Resolution Copper Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEST 2013-319-RM, et al.): Hoist-speed violation was not S&S
Resolution Copper transported miners in a personnel conveyance at speeds up to 1,200 feet per minute, above the 500-foot limit for hoisting people in buckets. The Commission had already held that the conveyance was a bucket and remanded for a decision on whether the violation was significant and…
G.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Plainview, NY
G.G. (ECAB 16-0007): New knee injury claim denied
G.G., a postal carrier, reported worsening right knee symptoms while delivering mail after surgery for an earlier work injury. OWCP treated his July 28, 2014 work stoppage as a claim for a new traumatic injury. The Board accepted that he was delivering mail that day but found no physician’s…
L.B. and Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Chicago Heights, IL
L.B. (ECAB 15-1848): Impairment and pay upheld; award start date remanded
L.B., a temporary Census Bureau enumerator, challenged his schedule award ratings and the pay rate used for compensation after a work injury. The Board found the medical adviser’s explained rating of 21 percent left leg impairment more persuasive than a higher rating that lacked supporting…
T.P. and Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration, Cheyenne, WY
T.P. (ECAB 15-1592): Two percent right leg award affirmed
T.P., a power administration lineman, injured his right knee after falling from a pole and later sought a larger schedule award. His treating physician rated seven percent impairment based on a cartilage diagnosis; an OWCP referral physician rated ten percent using knee motion. The Board credited…
K.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Perry Point, MD
K.S. (ECAB 15-1583): Wage-loss claim after separation denied
K.S., a Veterans Affairs nurse, had an accepted lumbar disc injury and had worked modified duty before her federal employment ended in July 2011. She claimed disability for the following months. The Board found that her treating surgeon did not explain why the accepted injury prevented modified…
G.C. and Department of the Air Force, Space & Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, CA
G.C. (ECAB 14-1247): Knee award and hearing denials affirmed
G.C., an Air Force police officer, sought another right leg schedule award after knee replacement surgery. He had already received awards totaling 51 percent right leg impairment, while the new physician’s rating was 21 percent. The Board found no basis for an additional award. It also upheld the…
G.C. and Department of the Air Force, Space & Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, CA
G.C. (ECAB 14-1247): Board orders decision reissued after mailing error
The Board had affirmed two OWCP decisions in G.C.’s case in January 2015, but its Clerk sent the decision to the wrong address. The Board held that the decision had therefore not been properly issued under its mailing rule. This order directs a new issuance effective February 12, 2016. The…
American International Chemical
In re American International Chemical (EAB TSCA Appeal No. 16-01C): consent agreement ratified
American International Chemical entered a Consent Agreement with EPA in a Toxic Substances Control Act penalty matter. The Environmental Appeals Board incorporated the agreement into its Final Order and ratified it under the Consolidated Rules of Practice. The respondent was ordered to comply with…
Secretary of Labor v. Buzzi Unicem USA
Defective skid-steer citation reduced to $634
A Buzzi Unicem employee tagged out a skid steer because it continued creeping when the operator released the controls, but management returned it to service while awaiting repairs. The machine was used around foot traffic and cleanup workers, and most operators were not warned that they needed the…
R.L. and Department of the Navy, Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, VA
R.L. (ECAB 16-0072): Wage capacity modification claim remanded
R.L., a former Navy clerk typist with accepted hand and wrist conditions, received compensation based on her ability to work as a print operator. After she stopped that work in May 2015 and reported worsening symptoms, OWCP denied her claim as a recurrence of disability. The Board held that the…
A.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hartford, CT
A.A. (ECAB 16-0041): Shoulder schedule award denied for outdated rating
A.A., a postal carrier, sought a schedule award for impairment after accepted shoulder injuries. His surgeon rated impairment using the fifth edition of the A.M.A. Guides, although OWCP required the sixth edition for decisions issued after May 2009. A physician assistant’s later report did not…
R.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Parcel Post Office, Flushing, NY
R.M. (ECAB 16-0011): Zero compensation sanction affirmed
R.M., a postal carrier with accepted neck conditions, was found able to perform full-time work with restrictions. OWCP referred him for vocational rehabilitation, but he did not cooperate with the counselor’s preliminary contacts or respond to notices warning that his compensation could be reduced…
G.B. and Department of the Navy, Air Systems Command Center, China Lake, CA
G.B. (ECAB 15-1959): Injury claim returned for review of timely medical report
G.B. appealed OWCP’s denial of a traumatic injury claim. OWCP said he had supplied no medical evidence, but it had received a surgeon’s report two days before issuing its decision. The Board held that OWCP must consider evidence received before a final decision and remanded for a new ruling. The…
G.V., widower of S.V., and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cleveland, OH
G.V. (ECAB 15-1899): Survivor claim returned for evidence development
G.V. sought survivor benefits after his wife, a postal mail processor, collapsed at work and later died. OWCP denied the claim, but the record did not contain the employer’s investigation of the workplace event or the emergency response records. The Board held that OWCP had to pursue available…
M.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Stone Mountain, GA
M.J. (ECAB 15-1832): Two percent left arm award affirmed
M.J., a postal letter carrier, sought an increased left arm schedule award after accepted shoulder and cervical injuries. The Board accepted a two percent rating combining mild sensory impairment from radiculopathy with a one percent shoulder rating. It found that her treating physician’s higher…
D.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jamaica, NY
D.F. (ECAB 15-1745): Injury claim and reconsideration denial affirmed
D.F., a postal carrier, attributed back and left shoulder symptoms to carrying mail. Her accounts described both a particular day and duties performed over two years, without enough detail for the Board to determine the work factors or even whether she claimed a traumatic injury or occupational…
I.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
I.W. (ECAB 15-1691): Occupational back claim filed too late
I.W., a postal letter carrier, attributed back and leg conditions to full-duty work that ended in October 2008. She filed an occupational disease claim in March 2015, saying a physician had not identified the condition as work related until August 2014. The Board found that her own account showed…
J.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Douglas, GA
J.W. (ECAB 14-1947): Decision returns additional award claim
J.W., a former postal carrier with accepted carpal tunnel syndrome, filed a new claim for an increased arm schedule award supported by a physician’s current impairment rating. OWCP treated the filing as a late request to reconsider an older award and did not evaluate the new rating. The Board held…
J.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Douglas, GA
J.W. (ECAB 14-1947): Board reissues decision and voids intervening rulings
The Board had set aside OWCP’s refusal to consider J.W.’s new schedule award claim in January 2015, but the Clerk sent that decision to the wrong address. The Board held that it had not properly issued the decision and had therefore retained jurisdiction over the award issue. It ordered the…
What these documents are
- The agencies: Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB). Each decision page names its agency.
- Commission, Board and Authority decisions: Rulings by the agency's highest review level (the Commission at OSHRC and FMSHRC, the Authority at FLRA, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Review Board at Labor, and the Environmental Appeals Board at EPA). These are citable as precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by the agency's Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order that binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent: under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j) at OSHRC, and after the 40-day window of 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) at FMSHRC.
- 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 public release from the deciding agency, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.