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. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2016-421): Five unwarrantable-failure orders upheld
MSHA issued Peabody Midwest Mining five section 104(d)(2) orders involving loose ribs, an inadequate weekly examination, extensive combustible accumulations along a belt line, an inadequate belt examination, and inaccurate preshift records. Judge Priscilla M. Rae found 35 loose ribs across about…
Secretary of Labor v. Kenamerican Resources, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Kenamerican Resources, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2017-183): Challenge to special-assessment procedures denied
MSHA proposed $4,623 for an accumulation citation and special assessments of $12,300 and $55,200 for alleged on-shift and preshift examination violations at Kenamerican's Paradise No. 9 Mine. Kenamerican asked the judge to remand the two special assessments, arguing that MSHA's unpublished General…
Secretary of Labor v. The American Coal Company
Secretary of Labor v. The American Coal Company (FMSHRC LAKE 2008-666, et al.): Five orders modified and flagrant findings removed
MSHA alleged five serious violations at American Coal's large, methane-liberating Galatia Mine involving energized electrical work, unsupported roof and ribs, inadequate preshift and on-shift examinations, and extensive belt-line combustible accumulations. Senior Judge Michael E. Zielinski upheld…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.