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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Grimes Rock, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor v. Grimes Rock, Inc.
Grimes Rock, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor (FMSHRC WEST 2022-0334): Discovery limited to the disputed enforcement actions
The Secretary asked the judge to stop Grimes Rock from seeking discovery about MSHA inspections conducted in December 2023 and January 2024. The underlying cases concerned citations and an order issued in August 2022 after Grimes Rock allegedly failed to comply with temporary-reinstatement payment…
Secretary of Labor v. Allyndale Corporation
Secretary of Labor v. Allyndale Corporation (FMSHRC YORK 2022-0075): Unopposed assessment reopening granted
Allyndale Corporation asked the Commission to reopen a final penalty assessment. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted reopening and remanded the matter to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings. It stated that granting this motion was not precedential…
Secretary of Labor v. Callender Construction Company, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Callender Construction Company, Inc. (FMSHRC LAKE 2020-0189): Unopposed reopening request was granted
Callender Construction Company asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had become a final Commission order. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted reopening and remanded the matter to the Chief Administrative Law Judge. It directed the Secretary to file a…
Secretary of Labor v. Sikes Concrete, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Sikes Concrete, Inc. (FMSHRC SE 2021-0011): Unopposed assessment reopening granted
Sikes Concrete asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had become a final order. The Secretary did not oppose the motion. The order does not describe the facts that caused the missed contest or explain the basis for relief. The Commission reopened the matter and remanded it to the…
Secretary of Labor v. U.S. Silica
Secretary of Labor v. U.S. Silica (FMSHRC WEVA 2020-0270): Reopening request dismissed after counsel declined to proceed
The Commission had ordered U.S. Silica to explain why its motion to reopen should not be denied because of an unexplained filing delay. The next day, company counsel stated that the operator did not intend to file anything further and would allow the show-cause order to become final. The Commission…
Secretary of Labor v. Panther Creek Mining, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Panther Creek Mining, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2020-0258): Unopposed reopening motion granted
Panther Creek Mining asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had become final. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission reopened the matter, remanded it for further proceedings, and directed the Secretary to file a penalty petition within 45 days.
Secretary of Labor v. KenAmerican Resources, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. KenAmerican Resources, Inc. (FMSHRC KENT 2013-0211): Advance-notice penalty assessed
During an MSHA complaint inspection, an underground miner asked a dispatcher whether “company” was outside, and the dispatcher confirmed that inspectors were present. The Commission had already held on review that this exchange violated the Mine Act's ban on advance notice and remanded only for a…
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.