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. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0045): Stone-processing plant held subject to MSHA
Cactus Canyon challenged MSHA's authority over its Fairland Plant, a surface facility that washes, sorts, crushes, sizes, and roasts stone for terrazzo flooring. The Commission held that those activities constitute milling, so the facility is a mine under the Mine Act even though most stone is…
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2022-0010): Electrical citations and MSHA jurisdiction affirmed
MSHA cited three electrical conditions at Cactus Canyon's Fairland Plant, which crushes and sizes stone for terrazzo flooring. The company argued that the facility was outside Mine Act jurisdiction because extraction did not occur on or near the site. The Commission held that crushing and sizing…
Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc.
Cactus Canyon Quarries, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC CENT 2023-0045): Mine jurisdiction upheld and citations split
Cactus Canyon challenged MSHA's authority over its Fairland stone-processing plant and the related Clendennen Ranch quarry. The judge held that the plant performed milling and that both facilities were mines covered by the Mine Act. Of ten citations, he vacated four, affirmed three as issued, and…
Robert Thomas v. CalPortland Company and Secretary of Labor v. CalPortland Company
Robert Thomas v. CalPortland Company (FMSHRC WEST 2018-0402 DM): Discrimination found under but-for causation
Robert Thomas worked as a dredge operator for CalPortland and raised concerns about excessive hours, understaffing, training, and safe work on the Sanderling Dredge. On remand from the Ninth Circuit, Judge Margaret A. Miller applied but-for causation and again found that Thomas's protected safety…
Secretary of Labor v. The Creator's Stone
Secretary of Labor v. The Creator's Stone (FMSHRC CENT 2020-0067): Small stone quarry held subject to Mine Act
The Creator's Stone removed layered stone from a small Arkansas site, broke and sorted pieces, stacked them on pallets, and sold the stone. The owner argued that the operation was a borrow pit rather than a mine and therefore did not need to notify MSHA or provide new-miner training. Judge William…
Jones Brothers, Inc. v Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Jones Brothers, Inc.
Jones Brothers, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC SE 2016-0218 RM): Road-project excavation held to be a mine
Jones Brothers excavated limestone for a Tennessee highway repair project by drilling, blasting, breaking oversized rock, separating dirt, and selecting rock that met state size and drainage specifications. The company argued that the site was a borrow pit outside MSHA jurisdiction. After a new…
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.