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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Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC
Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-395-R, et al.): Affinity Mine pattern notice upheld
MSHA issued a pattern-of-violations notice to Pocahontas Coal's Affinity Mine after a nationwide screening and further review of the mine's enforcement history, injuries, and claimed mitigating circumstances. The final notice relied on 34 significant-and-substantial violations, including recurring…
Secretary of Labor v. Brody Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Brody Mining, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-82-R, et al.): POV dismissal vacated and pattern standard defined
An ALJ invalidated Brody Mining's pattern-of-violations notice before taking evidence because the Secretary had not clearly explained how the listed citations formed a pattern. On interlocutory review, the Commission held that the ALJ had jurisdiction because contests of section 104(e) withdrawal…
Brody Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor; Secretary of Labor v. Brody Mining, LLC
Brody Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-82-R, et al.): POV ruling certified for review but stay denied
After dismissing MSHA's pattern-of-violations notice against Brody Mining, Judge William B. Moran agreed that immediate Commission review could materially advance the consolidated proceedings because 357 non-S&S citations and orders remained unresolved. He therefore certified controlling legal…
Secretary of Labor v. Brody Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Brody Mining, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-82-R, et al.): Pattern-of-violations rule upheld against facial and retroactivity challenges
Brody Mining challenged MSHA's 2013 pattern-of-violations rule after receiving a notice based on numerous significant-and-substantial citations and resulting withdrawal orders. The Commission held that section 104(e) permits MSHA to consider citations and orders before they become final Commission…
Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor
Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-390-R): discovery into pattern-of-violations facts partly allowed
Pocahontas Coal contested nine citations and orders connected to MSHA's notice that its Affinity Mine had a pattern of significant and substantial violations. The operator sought to question two MSHA officials about the facts behind the mine-specific pattern determination, while the Secretary asked…
Brody Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor, MSHA
Brody Mining, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEVA 2014-82-R, et al.): Pattern-of-violations rule upheld at summary decision
Brody Mining challenged MSHA's revised pattern-of-violations rule and the withdrawal orders issued after its pattern notice. Chief Judge Robert J. Lesnick held that the Commission lacked jurisdiction to review the notice itself but could review the resulting enforcement orders and consider…
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.