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. Petro Chemical Insulation, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Petro Chemical Insulation, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2014-606): Manlift safety citations affirmed
Petro Chemical Insulation used a mobile manlift at a coal-processing construction site with a fire extinguisher whose gauge showed that it needed recharging and a travel alarm that could not be heard over the work environment. Judge David P. Simonton found that the gauge reliably showed the…
Secretary of Labor v. Solar Sources, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Solar Sources, Inc. (FMSHRC LAKE 2010-774): Towable water pumps require fire extinguishers
MSHA cited Solar Sources after inspectors found towable wheeled water pumps at two surface coal mines without portable fire extinguishers. The Commission disagreed with the ALJ's conclusion that “mobile equipment” had a clear meaning under 30 C.F.R. § 77.1109(c)(1). It found the term ambiguous…
Solar Sources, Inc.
Solar Sources, Inc. (FMSHRC LAKE 2009-373): Fire-extinguisher citations affirmed for a plant level and wheeled pumps
Solar Sources contested three fire-extinguisher citations issued at three Indiana bituminous surface coal mines. Judge Alan G. Paez held that the preparation plant needed an extinguisher on its third level under 30 C.F.R. § 77.1109(a), even though other firefighting equipment was present. He also…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.