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. John Richards Construction
Secretary of Labor v. John Richards Construction (FMSHRC WEST 2015-101-M): Extinguisher-record and handrail citations affirmed
MSHA cited John Richards Construction at its small Montana sand and gravel pit after the operator could not produce current fire-extinguisher inspection records and an accessible elevated walkway lacked a 23-inch section of handrail. Judge Jacqueline R. Bulluck denied the operator's recusal request…
Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc.
Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-395-R, et al.): Recusal denied after prehearing plan request
Five withdrawal orders against Pocahontas Coal involved alleged violations of roof-control or ventilation plans at the Affinity Mine. Before hearing, Judge Margaret A. Miller asked the Secretary to provide the relevant plan provisions and invited Pocahontas to identify any disagreement, while…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.