Editorial: State must beef up construction safety

Sunday, Oct. 17, 1999 | 10:24 a.m.

The boom in the construction industry here is well known, but a story last Sunday by Sun reporter Launce Rake raised serious questions as to whether safety laws are being ignored, especially by new companies that have moved here from other states. In the latest available statistics, Nevada construction workers were 30 percent more prone to be injured than the national rate in 1997.

The laws are in place to ensure a safe workplace, but there aren't enough inspectors to enforce the statutes. The 1999 Legislature did increase the number of safety inspectors, but the next Legislature should add even more to guarantee that safety laws are followed at construction sites.

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