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. John Richards Construction
Secretary of Labor v. John Richards Construction (FMSHRC WEST 2014-440 M, WEST 2015-101 M): Entry refusal affirmed, extinguisher ruling remanded
John Richards Construction refused to let an MSHA inspector enter its sand and gravel mine until the owner returned to accompany him. The Commission affirmed that this was an intentional denial of MSHA's statutory right of entry, upheld high negligence, and affirmed the $1,000 penalty. A second…
Secretary of Labor v. Small Mine Development
Secretary of Labor v. Small Mine Development (FMSHRC WEST 2011-1351-M, WEST 2011-1153-RM): Refuge required with sole exploration escapeway
Small Mine Development advanced an exploratory decline about 1,000 feet with only one escapeway and had not installed the refuge chamber positioned outside the portal. A Commission majority held that 30 C.F.R. § 57.11050(a) is ambiguous about refuge requirements when exploration or development…
Secretary of Labor v. Mach Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Mach Mining, LLC (FMSHRC LAKE 2009-427): Non-S&S and high-negligence findings affirmed
MSHA cited Mach Mining after a primary escapeway at its Mach #1 Mine was narrowed from the required four feet to 26 inches at a ventilation regulator. The judge found a violation of 30 C.F.R. § 75.380(d)(4)(ii), but determined that it was not significant and substantial and resulted from relatively…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.