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. Raw Coal Mining Company, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Raw Coal Mining Company, Inc. (FMSHRC WEVA 2015-996): Three ventilation orders affirmed; $12,000 assessed
MSHA issued three section 104(d)(2) orders at Raw Coal's Sewell Mine B for failing to complete a weekly return-aircourse examination, leaving required stoppings missing or incomplete between intake and return entries, and making unapproved changes to the mine's ventilation system. Judge Alan G…
Secretary of Labor v. Big Laurel Mining Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Big Laurel Mining Corporation (FMSHRC VA 2012-56, VA 2012-337): Seven mine-safety violations affirmed with $252,304 penalty
Big Laurel operated a room-and-pillar coal mine in Wise County, Virginia, where MSHA issued seven citations and orders after repeated roof failures and an inspection of the mine's intake, return, and escapeway entries. Judge Alan G. Paez affirmed all seven violations, including failures to support…
Mill Branch Coal Corporation v. Secretary of Labor
Mill Branch Coal Corporation v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC VA 2012-435-R, et al.): Imminent-danger order affirmed and examination findings remanded
Severe floor heave, deteriorating ribs, displaced roof-support jacks, blocked doors, and an obstructed primary escapeway developed while miners retrieved equipment from Mill Branch's Low Splint A Mine. The Commission affirmed the imminent-danger withdrawal order because the inspector reasonably…
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.