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. Jesse Creek Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Jesse Creek Mining, LLC (FMSHRC SE 2015-310): Default reopened over a dissent on unreliable office procedures
Jesse Creek Mining did not answer MSHA's July 14, 2015 penalty petition, so the Chief Administrative Law Judge issued an order to show cause that became a default order on September 28, 2015. The company moved to reopen, giving three reasons: its safety director had been reassigned, an office…
Secretary of Labor v. Alabama Marble Company, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Alabama Marble Company, Inc. (FMSHRC SE 2012-226-M, et al.): four penalty matters reopened, settlement left intact
Alabama Marble asked the Commission to reopen five matters after a paid representative allegedly failed to contest or defend MSHA penalties totaling nearly $80,000. The Commission refused to vacate one approved settlement because the company had an opportunity to be heard and had agreed to its…
Secretary of Labor v. Kemper Equipment, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Kemper Equipment, Inc. (FMSHRC WEVA 2010-1316-RM, WEVA 2010-1317-RM): Mistaken dual-filing default reopened
Kemper timely contested a citation and order, but its vice president did not forward the later proposed penalty assessment to counsel because she mistakenly believed the earlier contests also covered the penalties. The Mine Act requires separate filings: contesting a citation does not contest its…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.