Las Vegas, NV October 26, 2020
Three
citations for violations of required COVID-19 workplace health and safety
measures were issued last week by the Division of Industrial Relations’ Nevada
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Agency officials monitor
and enforce compliance through in-field observations and through investigations
opened in response to complaints and referrals filed with OSHA.
The
citations were issued after an investigation was initiated as a result of a
complaint or referral filed with Nevada OSHA alleging noncompliance with the
requirement to submit a Preparedness and Safety Plan to the Division of
Industrial Relations for approval prior to the event. Each of the citations
issued below occurred while Declaration of
Emergency Directive 021 was in effect, which limited
gatherings to no more than 50 people and required submission and approval of a
plan for live events to the Department of Business and Industry, Division of
Industrial Relations.
Declaration of
Emergency Directive 033, which supersedes Directive 021,
requires events occurring after October 1 with attendance exceeding 250 to
submit a Preparedness and Safety Plan approved by the local health district to
the Division for review prior to the event. A Preparedness and Safety Plan
Submission Guide and other information related to Directive 033 can be found on
the Nevada Health Response website.
Douglas
County- 1146 Airport
Road, Minden, NV 89423; Penalty: $2,950; Violation Summary: Public attendance
to a live event was held without the submission of a safety plan for approval
by the Division of Industrial Relations
ABS
Aviation, Inc. - 1146
Airport Road, Minden, NV 89423; Penalty: $ 2,603; Violation
Summary: Public attendance to a live event was held without the submission of a
safety plan for approval by the Division of Industrial Relations
95 Motorsports
Complex, LLC- 1965
South Hwy 95A, Fernley, NV 89408; Penalty: $2,603; Violation
Summary: Public attendance to a live event was held without the submission
of a safety plan for approval by the Division of Industrial Relations
Nevada
OSHA has issued a total of 175 notices of citation and penalty related to
violations of required COVID-19 health and safety measures in effect since
mid-March.
Observation
Findings: Initial
Since
observations began in late-June to determine compliance with mandated health
and safety measures under the Governor’s Declaration of Emergency Directive 024
and Nevada OSHA’s Guidance for Roadmap to Recovery, DIR officials have
conducted 9,552 initial visits at business establishments finding a cumulative
90 percent statewide compliance rate, a 90 percent compliance rate in northern
Nevada and 87 percent compliance in southern Nevada.
During the
week beginning October 19, officials conducted 254 initial visits across the
state at a wide range of business sectors finding an 88 percent compliance rate
statewide, with 92 percent compliance in the north and 78 percent compliance in
the south.
Cities with
lower than average compliance last week include:
- Las Vegas, 15 of 54 businesses
were noncompliant- 72 percent compliance
- Eureka, 9 of 15 businesses were
noncompliant- 40 percent compliance
Industries
with average or lower than average compliance last week include:
- Government- 60 percent
compliance
- Convenience
Store- 60 percent compliance
- Grocery
Store- 67 percent compliance
- Hotels- 80
percent compliance
- Restaurant-
82 percent compliance
- Construction- 88 percent
compliance
- Observation
Findings: Follow Up
Since
observations to determine compliance with mandated health and safety measures
began, Division officials have conducted 1,790 follow up visits finding a
cumulative 96 percent statewide compliance rate with a 97 percent compliance
rate in northern Nevada, and 93 percent in the south.
During the
week beginning October 19, officials conducted 70 follow up visits finding 96
percent compliance statewide, 97 percent in the north and 83 percent in the
south.
Complaint
Data
In addition to
the field observation process, Nevada OSHA continues to respond to complaints
and referrals regarding face coverings, social distancing, cleaning and
disinfection, and other areas of concern related to COVID-19 received by their
offices.
Complaint data
is available on the Division’s observation and complaint data dashboard.
A link to the dashboard can be found on the homepage of the Division’s website http://dir.nv.gov.
Workplace
health and safety complaints can be reported to the Division by filing an
online complaint at https://www.osha.gov/pls/osha7/eComplaintForm.html.
Important
Information for Employers
The Division’s
Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) also offers free consultations
to businesses to help them understand and implement the requirements in order
to comply with the health and safety guidance and directives for all
businesses, and specific requirements for each industry. SCATS can be reached
by calling 1-877-4SAFENV.
About
the Division of Industrial Relations:
The
Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) is the principal regulatory
agency responsible for workplace safety and worker protections in the state of
Nevada. Comprised of five sections –Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, Workers’ Compensation Section, Mechanical Compliance Section,
Mine Safety and Training Section, and the Safety Consultation and Training
Section – DIR works to protect Nevada’s working men and women and provides a
broad scope of training and support to the regulated community. For more
information please visit http://dir.nv.gov.
About
Nevada OSHA:
Nevada
OSHA operates as an approved state program as defined by section 18 of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and is required by the Act to
operate in a manner that is at least as effective as the federal OSHA enforcement
program. Operating out of district offices in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada
OSHA conducts inspections and investigations intended to identify hazardous
conditions which could harm Nevada’s workers and enforces state and federal
laws protecting the state’s workers. From July 2018 to June 2019, Nevada OSHA
conducted over 1,060 inspections, issuing an average of 1.4 serious violations
per inspection. The Nevada State Plan, at the time of publication of this media
release, is funded by a grant of $1,486,600 federal funds, which constitutes 50
percent of the State Plan budget. Fifty percent, or $1,486,600 of the State
Plan budget, is financed through non-governmental sources. For more information
visit http://dir.nv.gov/OSHA/home.
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