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. Black Mountain Industrial Minerals, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Black Mountain Industrial Minerals, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2012-1059-M): Paper-clipped assessment reopened
Black Mountain missed its penalty-contest deadline because the proposed assessment had been paper-clipped to the back of a magazine. The company found the assessment after receiving MSHA's delinquency notice and revised its procedures for handling agency correspondence. The Secretary did not oppose…
Secretary of Labor v. Applied Conveyor Technology, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Applied Conveyor Technology, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2012-1030-M): Final assessment reopened without opposition
Applied Conveyor asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had become a final order after the company did not timely contest it. The official release does not state why the deadline was missed. The Secretary did not oppose reopening. After reviewing the request and response, the…
Secretary of Labor v. Queenstake Resources, USA, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Queenstake Resources, USA, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2012-1001-M): Paper-clipped assessment reopened
Queenstake's new compliance manager missed a proposed assessment because an administrative assistant had paper-clipped it behind another assessment. He discovered the mistake about a week after the 65 penalties became final and promptly notified counsel. After Queenstake clarified that it intended…
Woodrow Wilson Cosby v. Shaw Maintenance Group
Woodrow Wilson Cosby v. Shaw Maintenance Group (FMSHRC VA 2009-322-DM): Discharge claim settled for payment and employment protections
Woodrow Wilson Cosby alleged that Shaw Maintenance Group unlawfully discharged him from the Nestle-Purina site under the Mine Act's discrimination provisions. The parties settled before the hearing record opened. Shaw agreed to pay Cosby $5,000, remove material about the dispute from his personnel…
Secretary of Labor v. Matt Rudnianyn and Jeff D. Farley, employed by Commercial Industrial Corp.
Secretary of Labor v. Matt Rudnianyn and Jeff D. Farley (FMSHRC SE 2012-531-M, SE 2012-532-M): Two individual assessments reopened
MSHA assessed Matt Rudnianyn and Jeff Farley personally under section 110(c), but neither assessment was timely contested. Rudnianyn said Commercial Industrial and its agents did not know about the assessments until delinquency notices arrived and suggested that any received papers may have been…
Secretary of Labor v. Rocky Point Rock Quarry, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Rocky Point Rock Quarry, Inc. (FMSHRC SE 2012-489-M): Unopened mail default reopened
Rocky Point missed its penalty-contest deadline because administrative staff left mail addressed to the company president unopened on his desk while he was away. The company changed its procedures to allow administrative staff to open MSHA correspondence and avoid future missed deadlines. The…
Secretary of Labor v. Travis Alexander, employed by Tycon Excavating Contractor, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Travis Alexander (FMSHRC SE 2012-439-M): Wrong-address individual assessment reopened
MSHA assessed Travis Alexander personally under section 110(c) of the Mine Act, but he did not timely contest the proposed penalty and it became a final Commission order. Alexander said he never received the assessment or delinquency notice because MSHA mailed both to the wrong address. The…
Secretary of Labor v. White Rock Quarry, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. White Rock Quarry, LLC (FMSHRC CENT 2012-706-M): Misrouted assessment reopened despite opposition
A White Rock employee signed for the proposed assessment, but the document never reached the company's specially marked MSHA-penalty folder, and the owner said he also did not receive the delinquency notice. White Rock discovered the default through MSHA's online data system and moved to reopen…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Russell Ratliff v. Cobra Natural Resources, LLC
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Russell Ratliff v. Cobra Natural Resources, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2013-368-D): Proposed reinstatement cutoff rejected
A judge had ordered Cobra Natural Resources to temporarily reinstate Russell Ratliff while his Mine Act discrimination claim proceeded. The Secretary and Cobra later proposed economic reinstatement instead of returning Ratliff to work. Their agreement would have ended Cobra's payment obligation if…
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Company
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2012-1090): Misrouted assessment reopened
Consolidation Coal missed the deadline to contest an MSHA penalty assessment after it was placed in a safety supervisor's mailbox with copies of assessments that had already been contested. The supervisor discovered the mistake three days after the assessment became final. The company adopted a new…
Secretary of Labor v. Hoover Excavating, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Hoover Excavating, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2012-919-M): Unclaimed assessment reopened
Hoover Excavating did not timely contest an MSHA proposed penalty and later asked the Commission to reopen the final assessment. Hoover said it never received the assessment and learned of the delinquency when its lawyer searched MSHA's data system. The Secretary did not oppose reopening and…
Secretary of Labor v. Bolinder Resources, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Bolinder Resources, LLC (FMSHRC WEST 2012-808-M): Final assessment reopened
Bolinder Resources asked the Commission to reopen an MSHA penalty assessment that had become final after it was not timely contested. The release does not state why Bolinder missed the contest deadline. The Secretary did not oppose the request. After reviewing the parties' submissions, the…
Secretary of Labor v. Redhawk Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Redhawk Mining, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2012-881): Contest-form mistake excused
Redhawk Mining sought to reopen an MSHA penalty assessment that had become a final Commission order. Redhawk said it submitted a timely notice of contest but accidentally marked the wrong box and discovered the mistake after receiving MSHA's penalty petition. The Secretary did not oppose reopening…
Secretary of Labor v. Sturgeon Mining Co., Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Sturgeon Mining Co., Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2012-701): Final penalty assessment reopened
Sturgeon Mining did not contest an MSHA proposed penalty within 30 days, so the assessment became a final Commission order. The company asked the Commission to reopen the assessment, and the Secretary did not oppose the request. After reviewing the submissions, the Commission reopened the matter in…
Secretary of Labor v. The N.C. Granite Corp.
Secretary of Labor v. The N.C. Granite Corp. (FMSHRC SE 2011-360-M): Litigated citation's assessment reopened
N.C. Granite timely contested an MSHA citation and was actively litigating it when the related penalty assessment arrived. Its safety manager mistakenly believed a separate assessment contest was unnecessary, so the assessment became final. The company's first reopening motion was dismissed after…
Secretary of Labor v. The American Coal Company
Secretary of Labor v. The American Coal Company (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-13): Blanket 30 percent settlement rejected
The Secretary proposed reducing the penalties for all 32 citations against The American Coal Company by exactly 30 percent without changing any gravity or negligence findings. The motion cited amicable resolution and litigation uncertainty but gave no individualized facts supporting the reductions…
Permabond Construction, Inc.
Default order remanded for review of letters
An administrative law judge entered default against Permabond after it missed a conference call, filed a late notice of contest, and appeared not to respond to an order to show cause. Before the decision was docketed, however, Permabond's pro se representative faxed the judge a letter explaining…
Bryan Martin, d/b/a Terra Reclamation
Demolition fall and survey items affirmed
Terra Reclamation was demolishing a three-story building in New Holland, Pennsylvania. Two workers used an aerial lift about 28 feet high without lanyards or harnesses, and other workers performed demolition near an unprotected upper-floor edge without fall protection. The company also began…
Federal Construction Group
Disqualification motion denied
The Commission remanded the case for the judge to consider Federal Construction Group's motion seeking his disqualification. The company alleged improper ex parte contact because the judge ate lunch with an OSHA compliance officer and the court reporter during the hearing. The judge found that the…
Secretary of Labor v. Eastern Associated Coal LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Eastern Associated Coal LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2011-932): MSHA interview notes ordered disclosed
MSHA cited Eastern Associated Coal after two apprentice miners allegedly worked near an unguarded moving belt tail pulley, and a related section 110(c) investigation followed. Eastern sought inspector and special-investigator interview notes that the Secretary withheld as attorney work product…
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Company
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2010-176, et al.): MSHA jurisdiction ended at empty river barges
A preparation-plant foreman drowned after apparently falling from an empty barge on the Ohio River while checking barges for water at Consolidation Coal's Ireland River Loading Facility. The company accepted MSHA jurisdiction over the land-based facility but disputed coverage of the loading dock…
Secretary of Labor v. Highland Mining Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Highland Mining Company, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2010-1491, KENT 2010-1492): Two high-negligence findings upheld, one S&S designation removed
Highland Mining conceded three violations at its Highland #9 Mine but disputed their gravity, negligence, or penalties. Judge William B. Moran found an admitted roof-and-rib-control violation S&S and highly negligent because four obvious loose ribs were located along a heavily traveled supply road…
JP Gallagher Electric
Late electrical-citation contest dismissed
OSHA issued JP Gallagher Electric a serious citation with a proposed $2,400 penalty for electrical work on a circuit that was allegedly not locked out or otherwise made inoperative. The company received the citation on October 7, 2011, but did not file its notice of contest by the October 31…
Redline Pipeline, LLC
Trench items affirmed, water and asbestos items vacated
Redline Pipeline was the general contractor for replacement of water lines that likely contained asbestos. Two subcontractor employees entered a roughly 9-to-10-foot-deep trench after its protective box had been removed, although the previously disturbed Type B soil was not properly sloped. The…
Secretary of Labor v. Manalapan Mining Company, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Manalapan Mining Company, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2008-737): Belt-accumulation findings remanded under full unwarrantable-failure test
MSHA issued section 104(d) orders for combustible coal accumulations along two conveyor belts at Manalapan Mining's underground mine. The judge found the violations but removed their unwarrantable-failure designations, relying heavily on the wet and muddy conditions and the resulting level of…
Secretary of Labor v. Riverton Investment Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Riverton Investment Corporation (FMSHRC WEVA 2012-1406-M): Seven-month delinquency delay defeated reopening
Riverton Investment sought to reopen a $224,136 MSHA assessment after an Essroc safety manager requested an informal conference but did not file a timely contest. Essroc discovered the failure after the manager resigned, amid other delinquency notices and collection actions involving its penalty…
Secretary of Labor v. Inman Energy, Process Energy, Spartan Mining Company, Inc., and Aracoma Coal Company
Secretary of Labor v. Inman Energy, Process Energy, Spartan Mining Company, Inc., and Aracoma Coal Company (FMSHRC WEVA 2012-768, et al.): Five late contests reopened
Four Alpha Natural Resources subsidiaries asked the Commission to reopen five MSHA penalty assessments that had become final after late contests. Alpha's executive assistant said she handled contest filings for acquired Legacy Massey Energy mines and fell behind because of a holiday break and…
Secretary of Labor v. Dominion Coal Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Dominion Coal Corporation (FMSHRC VA 2010-304): Eleven-month default delay barred reopening
Dominion Coal defaulted after failing to answer MSHA's penalty petition or a later show-cause order. It sought reopening eleven months after the show-cause order, citing personnel changes, staffing shortages, misrouted mail, and unsuccessful settlement efforts. The Secretary opposed relief and…
Secretary of Labor v. Dennis S. Bell and Michael P. Duffy, employed by Duffy, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Dennis S. Bell and Michael P. Duffy (FMSHRC PENN 2013-86-M, PENN 2013-87-M): Two individual assessments reopened
Counsel for Duffy, Inc. sought to reopen individual section 110(c) assessments against Dennis Bell and the company's late owner, Michael Duffy. The corporate secretary said both contest forms were mailed on September 7, 2012, but MSHA had no record of receiving them. Michael Duffy had died in a…
Secretary of Labor v. Highland Mining Company LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Highland Mining Company LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2011-97): Four belt and noise violations upheld
Highland Mining contested four citations involving its No. 4 unit, conceding two underlying violations but disputing their gravity and negligence. Judge William B. Moran upheld an S&S citation for a misaligned conveyor belt rubbing six warm frames and an S&S noise citation after a continuous-miner…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Reuben Shemwell v. Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. and Armstrong Fabricators, Inc.
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Reuben Shemwell v. Armstrong Coal Company, Inc. and Armstrong Fabricators, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2013-362-D): Oral argument set on retaliatory-lawsuit claim
Armstrong filed a Kentucky tort lawsuit against welder Reuben Shemwell after he pursued Mine Act discrimination claims arising from his discharge. The Secretary then alleged that the lawsuit itself interfered with Shemwell's protected rights under section 105(c)(1). Judge Jerold Feldman scheduled…
Secretary of Labor v. Carmeuse Lime & Stone, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Carmeuse Lime & Stone, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2010-228): Crane-capacity citation vacated for lack of quantitative proof
Carmeuse used an underground crane to lift a 10,000-pound conveyor-belt counterweight at its Maysville limestone mine. MSHA alleged that an outrigger rested on unstable ground, the outriggers were extended unequal distances, and the crane was therefore used beyond the manufacturer's design…
Neupauer Masonry, Inc.
Default remanded over unlicensed representative
An administrative law judge dismissed Neupauer Masonry's contest after the company failed to answer the Secretary's complaint or respond to an order to show cause. The default order affirmed three citations and $43,560 in proposed penalties. On review, Neupauer said it had hired Julio Vargas for…
Secretary of Labor v. Tripple H Coal, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Tripple H Coal, LLC (FMSHRC SE 2010-78): Auger-helper noise citation affirmed
An MSHA full-shift sample found that a coal-auger helper at Tripple H Coal's Auger #1 mine received a noise dose of 150 percent, above the 132 percent permissible level including the error factor. The miner wore hearing protection, so the inspector treated hearing loss as unlikely and the violation…
Dickenson-Russell Coal Company, LLC v. Secretary of Labor
Dickenson-Russell Coal Company, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC VA 2009-430, VA 2009-393-R): Mine operator had to report temporary worker's injury
A temporary worker supervised by Dickenson-Russell was injured while roof bolting at the Roaring Fork No. 4 Mine. His employment agency timely filed MSHA Form 7000-1, but Dickenson-Russell did not file its own report because it believed the contractor's submission was sufficient. Judge Jerold…
Secretary of Labor v. Argus Energy WV, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Argus Energy WV, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2013-422, WEVA 2012-918, WEVA 2012-919): Three final assessments reopened
Argus Energy asked the Commission to reopen three MSHA penalty assessments that had become final after they were not timely contested. The corrected published order does not state why the deadlines were missed. The Secretary did not oppose any of the requests. The Commission reopened all three…
Secretary of Labor v. Beverly Materials, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Beverly Materials, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-876-M, LAKE 2011-957-M): Equipment and electrical citations split
Beverly Materials contested nine non-S&S citations from two Illinois sand-and-gravel pits. Judge William B. Moran vacated a brake-light citation because the loader had only been moved to the grade where its preshift test would occur and had not yet been placed in service. He affirmed reduced…
Artemio Gonzalez Exteriors
Citation affirmed after the employer defaulted
Artemio Gonzalez Exteriors did not file an answer to the Secretary of Labor's complaint. The judge issued an order requiring the employer to explain why it should not be declared in default, but the certified mailing was returned unclaimed and unable to forward. The judge found that the employer…
Todd Descutner v. Newmont USA
Todd Descutner v. Newmont USA (FMSHRC WEST 2011-523-DM): Partial remedies awarded after discrimination ruling
After an earlier ruling that Newmont illegally terminated haul-truck driver Todd Descutner, the parties agreed on some remedies but remained divided over overtime and attorney fees. Judge David F. Barbour noted that Descutner had been reinstated and his personnel file had been cleared of references…
K.E.R. Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Armadillo Underground
Pipe-explosion citation vacated for lack of a recognized hazard
Armadillo Underground installed water-line piping and pressure-tested a completed section while workers tightened bolts to stop a small leak. The pipe exploded, breaking the foreman's legs and causing minor lacerations to three other workers. OSHA alleged that tightening the bolts while the pipe…
Sierra Rock Products, Inc.
Sierra Rock Products, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2010-1589-M): Electrical and access violations yield $23,643 penalty
Sierra Rock Products contested electrical, fall-protection, access, guarding, training, and equipment citations at its small California quarry and crusher. Judge Richard W. Manning upheld two imminent-danger orders, found several violations S&S, and affirmed or modified every litigated citation. He…
Buckingham Coal Company
Buckingham Coal Company (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-1041, LAKE 2011-1043): Summary decision denied in emergency-plan cases
MSHA issued five citations alleging that Buckingham Coal failed to update emergency response plans with available post-accident communication and tracking systems. Buckingham sought summary decision, arguing that the Secretary had failed to refer an emergency-plan dispute immediately for expedited…
Allied Stone, LLC
Allied Stone, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-47-M): Guarding and quarry citations split, with $650 total penalties
Allied Stone contested safety citations from an inspection of its portable surface limestone mine in Wisconsin. Judge Michael E. Zielinski affirmed a highwall citation but removed its S&S designation because the loader operator was unlikely to be injured by falling rock. He vacated two guarding…
Billington Contracting, Inc.
Billington Contracting, Inc. (FMSHRC LAKE 2010-81-M, et al.): Late reopening motion denied with prejudice
Billington Contracting asked the Commission to reopen three penalty cases that had become final after it failed to answer the Secretary's petitions. The company filed its reopening motion more than one year after the default orders became effective. The Commission explained that motions based on…
River View Coal, LLC
River View Coal, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2012-654): Penalty assessment reopened after staffing lapse
River View Coal asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that became final before the operator mailed its contest. The mine had been idle over the holidays, its regular clerk was on maternity leave, and temporary staff did not understand the contest deadline. The Secretary did not oppose…
Ohio County Coal Company, LLC
Ohio County Coal Company, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2012-652, KENT 2012-656): Late penalty contests reopened
Ohio County Coal asked the Commission to reopen two penalty assessments after its contests arrived six and seven days after the assessments became final. The operator said unexplained failures in its internal mail system delayed delivery to its safety manager, and it acted after receiving…
Dyno Nobel East-Central Region
Dyno Nobel East-Central Region (FMSHRC SE 2012-260M): Stay denied while individual-liability investigation continued
MSHA sought a $47,716 penalty against Dyno Nobel while a related investigation considered possible individual liability under section 110(c) of the Mine Act. Dyno Nobel requested a stay so any individual case could be consolidated with the operator's case and duplicate litigation could be avoided…
Highland Mining Company, LLC
Highland Mining Company, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2010-1632): Equipment and ventilation citations assessed at $7,153
Highland Mining contested six citations involving diesel exhaust systems, a conveyor pull cord, a damaged mantrip canopy, and compliance with its ventilation plan. Judge William B. Moran found two defective mini-track exhaust systems S&S because leaking exhaust created carbon-monoxide and fire…
KyKenKee, Inc.
Settlement approved after sawmill guarding decision
KyKenKee operated an Alabama sawmill where a worker was fatally struck by a log that fell from a debarker conveyor. An administrative law judge found that the company should have fenced or posted the hazardous area around the ring barker and its conveyors. The judge reduced the violation from…
All American Concrete, Inc.
One excavation citation vacated and one affirmed as serious
All American Concrete was upgrading a storm-water system when an excavator bucket rolled into an excavation and broke an employee's ankle. OSHA cited the contractor for materials or equipment near the excavation edge and for inadequate cave-in protection. The judge vacated the falling-materials…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Lawrence L. Pendley v. Highland Mining Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Lawrence L. Pendley v. Highland Mining Company, LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2007-383-DX): Discrimination complaint dismissed on remand
On remand from the Commission after appellate review, Judge David F. Barbour reconsidered whether Highland Mining discriminated against Lawrence Pendley by firing him and by changing his work after temporary reinstatement. The judge found that mine management honestly and reasonably believed…
Lucky Plastering Corporation
Late scaffold contest dismissed
OSHA cited Lucky Plastering for four scaffold violations at a Florida construction site and proposed $12,000 in penalties. The company filed its notice of contest more than seven weeks after the 15-working-day deadline. Its president cited a family emergency, difficulty reading English, reduced…
Eastern Associated Coal, LLC
Eastern Associated Coal, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2012-992): Hospitalization-related default reopened
Eastern Associated Coal asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that became final while its general manager was unexpectedly hospitalized. The manager said he forwarded the assessment to the safety manager immediately after discovering it, and the company then filed a contest. The…
Runts Trucking, Inc.
Runts Trucking, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2012-753-M): Missing mailed contest reopened
Runts Trucking asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment after MSHA had no record of receiving its contest. The owner said he mailed the contest within one week of receiving the assessment and acted after MSHA later sent a delinquency notice. The Secretary did not oppose reopening but…
Freeport-McMoRan Morenci, Inc.
Freeport-McMoRan Morenci, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2012-463-M): Untracked penalty contest reopened
Freeport-McMoRan asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment after MSHA had no record of receiving the operator's contest. Freeport said it mailed the contest well before the deadline but could not prove delivery because it did not use certified mail. The company stated that this departed…
West States Skanska, Inc.
West States Skanska, Inc. (FMSHRC WEST 2012-1255): Misplaced assessment reopened after personnel changes
West States Skanska asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that became final after recent personnel changes caused it to be misplaced. The company's safety director discovered the problem while investigating a different outstanding assessment. The Secretary did not oppose reopening…
Chemical Lime Company of Virginia, Inc.
Chemical Lime Company of Virginia, Inc. (FMSHRC VA 2012-251-M): Missing contest form excused
Chemical Lime asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment after it mailed payment for uncontested penalties but mistakenly omitted the contest form. MSHA had no record of receiving the form, although its payment center received the company's check. The Secretary did not oppose reopening and…
Ararat Rock Products
Ararat Rock Products (FMSHRC SE 2012-360-M): Misaddressed penalty contest reopened
Ararat Rock Products asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment after it apparently mailed its contest to the wrong location. The operator said it discovered the delinquency during a hearing in another case and paid the contested penalties under protest to avoid additional charges. The…
RoxCoal, Inc.
RoxCoal, Inc. (FMSHRC PENN 2009-374, PENN 2009-49): Treasury collection recall authorized in one docket
RoxCoal paid two approved settlement amounts but said it never received the judge's payment orders and asked the Commission to remove added interest and collection charges. One docket had already been referred to the Treasury Department, while the other had been fully paid and closed. The…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Peter L. Dunne v. Vulcan Construction Materials, LP
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Peter L. Dunne v. Vulcan Construction Materials, LP (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-327-DM): Temporary reinstatement dissolved after court mandate
The Commission had previously upheld Peter Dunne's temporary reinstatement after the Secretary declined to pursue his discrimination claim and Dunne continued on his own behalf. The Seventh Circuit reversed, holding that temporary reinstatement cannot continue after the Secretary decides not to…
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.