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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Maersk Stevedoring Co.
Unguarded hatch violation affirmed, penalty cut
Maersk Stevedoring performed longshoring work aboard the Maersk San Antonio in Long Beach, California. An OSHA inspector saw a walking boss without fall protection near the edge of an open hatch where a fall of 16 to 20 feet was possible. The judge rejected Maersk's argument that OSHA had withdrawn…
Bernard S. Costello, Inc.
Longshoring citations affirmed after the employer withdrew its contest
Bernard S. Costello, Inc. operated as a contract stevedore and terminal operator. OSHA cited the company after employees worked near unguarded open weather-deck hatches and handled cargo without protective hats. The judge found that the open hatches exposed two employees to a possible 17-foot fall…
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review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j): it binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent in other cases.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.