Editorial: Don’t toy with our safety

Tuesday, May 2, 2000 | 9:53 a.m.

Union officials say that falls are the leading cause of workplace deaths in Nevada. In fact, of the 60 on-the-job deaths in 1999, eight were from falls at construction sites. Those statistics demonstrate why it is so troubling that state Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, and some roofing companies are not only seeking to curtail state fines for safety violations, but they also want to change the regulations that protect workers.

The roofing companies and Washington, who has drafted recommendations he will submit to the Legislature in January, dispute union claims that these proposals would set standards below minimum federal requirements -- and result in more worker injuries and deaths that could prompt new federal oversight. Washington asserts that he and the roofing companies pushing the changes -- two of which had workers die in construction falls during the past six months -- are "just trying to make some sense of the regulations." But the unions' argument -- that Washington's suggestions could undermine worker safety -- is more credible.

And as the Sun's Launce Rake reported Monday, these proposals go beyond falls, and would apply to other worker safety rules. For instance, while the state's enforcement division could lower a fine from an already established schedule, it couldn't raise it even if the violation was so severe it warranted a higher amount. Union officials worry that limiting fines in this way might result in companies ignoring the regulations. Rather than giving inspectors the needed power to do their jobs, these rules could end up tying their hands.

Those workers who are in higher risk jobs, such as construction, need to be assured that government will take all steps to ensure that their employers will take precautions to make sure workplaces are safe. Certainly these regulations should be enforced reasonably, and federal OSHA officials already are in the process of obtaining the industry's input to gauge the economic impact of safety rules and the application of fall protection guidelines. But needlessly restricting inspectors from doing their jobs, and preventing government from imposing fines when necessary, will make the situation worse, not better, for workers.