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. Sutter Gold Mining Company
Secretary of Labor v. Sutter Gold Mining Company (FMSHRC WEST 2015-856): Two citations vacated and two S&S violations affirmed
An MSHA inspector cited four conditions at Sutter Gold's nonproducing underground mine. Judge Margaret A. Miller rejected the operator's walkaround-rights argument because the inspector reasonably believed the consultant who accompanied her was in charge and no management representative was present…
Signature Mining Services, LLC v. Secretary of Labor, MSHA
Signature Mining Services, LLC v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC EAJ 2012-02): Interim EAJA entitlement ruling amended
Signature Mining Services sought fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act after settling contests involving mine-wide imminent-danger and withdrawal orders. Judge Thomas P. McCarthy held that Signature was a prevailing party as to one imminent-danger order because the Secretary's agreement to…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.