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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Lawrence Pendley v. Highland Mining Co. and James Creighton
Lawrence Pendley v. Highland Mining Co. and James Creighton (FMSHRC KENT 2013-606-D): Discrimination penalties set at $19,750
An earlier decision found that Highland Mining and James Creighton discriminated against miners' representative Lawrence Pendley by interfering with his protected rights. The Secretary proposed a $19,500 penalty against Highland and $500 against Creighton. Judge Kenneth R. Andrews assessed the full…
Secretary of Labor v. Nally & Hamilton Enterprises, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Nally & Hamilton Enterprises, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2012-749, et al.): Highwall orders split with $51,484 total penalty
Nally & Hamilton contested highwall and examination citations at its Kentucky surface coal operations, while resolving several other citations by settlement. Judge John Kent Lewis affirmed two early violations involving loose material and an inadequate examination, but reduced each to non-S&S, low…
Secretary of Labor v. Hecla Limited and Secretary of Labor v. Doug Bayer, employed by Hecla Limited
Secretary of Labor v. Hecla Limited and Secretary of Labor v. Doug Bayer (FMSHRC WEST 2014-591-M, WEST 2012-760-M-A, WEST 2012-986-M): Ground-support violations draw $280,000
Hecla Limited mined beneath long sections of waste-rock pillars at its Lucky Friday Mine without engineering additional ground support. A massive fall of ground in one stope fatally injured miner Larry Marek. Judge Richard W. Manning held that Hecla violated 30 C.F.R. § 57.3360 in that stope and…
Secretary of Labor v. Highland Mining Co., LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Highland Mining Co., LLC (FMSHRC KENT 2013-112): Four litigated citations bring $15,096 penalty
MSHA litigated four citations against Highland Mining involving loose ribs, two misaligned conveyor belts, and an inadequate on-shift examination. Judge Kenneth R. Andrews affirmed the loose-rib violation but changed it to unlikely and non-S&S because miners traveled the area infrequently, reducing…
Emerald Coal Resources, LP v. Secretary of Labor
Emerald Coal Resources, LP v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC PENN 2009-383-R, et al.): Second amended decision assesses $8,143
Emerald Coal Resources failed to keep deteriorated structural columns in its preparation plant in good repair and failed to provide a multi-gas detector to a separate group of four contractors working underground. Judge William S. Steele affirmed both citations. He found the structural violation…
Stansley Mineral Resources, Incorporated
Stansley Mineral Resources, Incorporated (FMSHRC LAKE 2011-693-M): Unguarded tail pulley upheld with penalty reduced to $1,000
A Stansley employee repeatedly shoveled spillage within a few feet of an unguarded, fluted conveyor tail pulley at a sand-and-gravel plant. The operator admitted the guarding violation but disputed the S&S and unwarrantable-failure designations. Judge David F. Barbour found a serious entanglement…
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.