(a) When service is required. At the time of filing pleadings or other documents, the filer shall serve a copy on every other party or intervenor. Every document relating to discovery required to be served on a party shall be served on all parties and intervenors. Every order required by its terms to be served shall be served on all parties and intervenors.
(b) Service on represented parties or intervenors. Service upon a party or intervenor who has appeared through a representative shall be made only upon such representative unless the Judge orders service on the party or intervenor.
(c) How accomplished. Unless otherwise ordered, service may be accomplished by the following methods:
(1) Commission's E-File System. For electronically-filed documents, service shall be deemed accomplished by the simultaneous service of the document by email on all other parties and intervenors in the case, together with proof of service pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.
(2) U.S. Mail. Service shall be deemed accomplished upon depositing the item in the U.S. Mail with first-class or higher class (such as priority mail) postage pre-paid addressed to the recipient's record address provided pursuant to § 2200.6.
(3) Commercial or other personal delivery. Service shall be deemed accomplished upon delivery to the recipient's record address provided pursuant to § 2200.6.
(4) Facsimile transmission. Service by facsimile transmission shall be deemed accomplished upon delivery to the receiving facsimile machine. The party serving a document by facsimile is responsible for the successful transmission and legibility of documents intended to be served.
(5) Non-E-Filed Documents. Documents required to be served upon other counsel or parties but that are not filed with the Commission in the Commission's E-File System (such as discovery documents served pursuant to § 2200.52(j)) may be served by any means agreed to by all parties in writing.
(d) Proof of service. Service shall be documented by a written certificate of service setting forth the date and manner of service. The certificate of service shall be filed with the pleading or document.
(e) Proof of posting. Where service is accomplished by posting, proof of such posting shall be filed not later than the first working day following the posting.
(f) Service on represented employees. Service and notice to employees represented by an authorized employee representative shall be deemed accomplished by serving the representative in a manner prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.
(g) Service on unrepresented employees. In the event there are affected employees who are not represented by an authorized employee representative, the employer shall post, immediately upon receipt, the docketing notice for the notice of contest or petition for modification of the abatement period. The posting shall be at or near where the citation is required to be posted pursuant to section 9(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 658(b), and 29 CFR 1903.16. The employer shall post:
(1) A copy of the notice of contest or petition for modification of the abatement period;
(2) A notice informing the affected employees of their right to party status; and
(3) A notice informing the affected employees of the availability of all pleadings for inspection and copying at reasonable times.
(4)(i) A notice in the following form shall be deemed to comply with this paragraph:
(Name of employer)
Your employer has been cited by the Secretary of Labor for violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The citation has been contested and will be the subject of a hearing before the OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION. Affected employees are entitled to participate in this hearing as parties under terms and conditions established by the OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION in its Rules of Procedure. Notice of intent to participate must be filed no later than 14 days before the hearing. Any notice of intent to participate should be sent to: Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, Office of the Executive Secretary, One Lafayette Centre, 1120 20th Street, NW, Suite 980, Washington, DC 20036-3457. All pleadings relevant to this matter may be inspected at: (Place reasonably convenient to employees, preferably at or near workplace.)
(ii) Where appropriate, the second sentence of the above notice will be deleted and the following sentence will be substituted:
The reasonableness of the period prescribed by the Secretary of Labor for abatement of the violation has been contested and will be the subject of a hearing before the OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION.
(h) Special service requirements; authorized employee representatives. The authorized employee representative, if any, shall be served by the employer with the notice set forth in paragraph (g) of this section and with a copy of the notice of contest or petition for modification of the abatement period.
(i) Notice of hearing to unrepresented employees. Immediately upon receipt, a copy of the notice of the hearing to be held before the Judge shall be served by the employer on affected employees who are not represented by an authorized employee representative by posting a copy of the notice of such hearing at or near the place where the citation is required to be posted pursuant to section 9(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 658(b), and 29 CFR 1903.16.
(j) Notice of hearing to represented employees. Immediately upon receipt of the notice of the hearing to be held before the Judge, the employer shall serve a copy of the notice on the authorized employee representative of affected employees in the manner prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section. The employer need not serve the notice of hearing, as stated above, if on or before the date the hearing notice is received, the authorized employee representative has entered an appearance in conformance with §§ 2200.22 and 2200.23.
(k) Employee contest; service on other employees. (1) Where a notice of contest with respect to the reasonableness of the abatement period is filed under § 2200.38 by an affected employee who is not represented by an authorized employee representative and there are other affected employees who are represented by an authorized employee representative, the unrepresented affected employee shall serve the following documents on the authorized employee representative:
(i) The notice of contest with respect to the reasonableness of the abatement period; and
(ii) A copy of the Secretary's statement of reasons, filed in conformance with § 2200.38(a).
(2) Service on the authorized employee representative shall be in the manner prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section. The unrepresented affected employee shall file proof of such service.
(l) Employee contest; service on employer. Where a notice of contest with respect to the reasonableness of the abatement period is filed by an affected employee or an authorized employee representative, a copy of the notice of contest and response filed in support of the notice of contest shall be provided to the employer for posting in the manner prescribed in paragraph (g) of this section.
(m) Employee contest; service on other authorized employee representatives. An authorized employee representative who files a notice of contest with respect to the reasonableness of the abatement period shall be responsible for serving any other authorized employee representative whose members are affected employees in the manner prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.
(n) Duration of posting. Where posting is required by this section, such posting shall be maintained until the commencement of the hearing or until earlier disposition.
(o) Service of show cause orders—(1) Service on parties and intervenors using Commission's E-File System. Service of show cause orders shall be deemed completed by service through the Commission's E-File System on a representative who has entered an appearance for a party or intervenor under § 2200.23 or on a self-represented party or intervenor who has not been exempted from using the Commission's E-File System. See also § 2200.101(a).
(2) Service on self-represented parties or intervenors exempted from using the Commission's E-File System. In addition to the service methods permitted by § 2200.7(c), the Commission or the Judge shall serve a show cause order on a self-represented party or intervenor who has been exempted from using the Commission's E-File System by certified mail or by any other method (including commercial delivery service) that provides confirmation of delivery to the addressee's record address provided under § 2200.6.
[84 FR 14558, Apr. 10, 2019, as amended at 84 FR 53052, Oct. 4, 2019; 85 FR 65220, Oct. 15, 2020; 87 FR 8948, Feb. 17, 2022]