Protecting workers

Thursday, April 2, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.

Should the safety of construction workers who are building hotels, shopping centers, homes and other private projects be monitored by just one state agency that is apt to be understaffed?

We do not believe so, and neither does Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who has proposed a major change to that model.

At Tuesday’s County Commission meeting, she plans to suggest that the county play a significant role in safety, particularly at the time contractors present their building plans for review.

Currently, county employees who check contractors’ plans are mainly charged with ensuring that the plans meet building codes.

Giunchigliani, in a March 27 story by Las Vegas Sun reporter Alexandra Berzon, said she will suggest that county inspectors, while checking construction sites, also be on the lookout for safety hazards as well as code violations.

The commissioner’s proposals stemmed from hearings she convened this year in response to the deaths of 12 workers during construction on the Strip over a 19-month period in 2007 and 2008.

Berzon wrote a series of stories on the deaths, disclosing problems in the way the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforced safety laws and regulations.

Giunchigliani is correct in noting that Nevada OSHA, which has admitted to being understaffed, needs help. Another way the county can provide that help, she says, is for construction companies to be better scrutinized before work even begins.

Among her proposals is one that would require companies to include their safety records when submitting bids to the county for work on public projects.

She pointed to the example set by the Los Angeles Unified School District, which requires that contractors’ bids include their company’s injury rates, OSHA violations for the past five years, workers’ compensation safety ratings and safety policies and procedures. These inclusions discourage contractors from lowering their competitive price by skimping on safety.

Giunchigliani has obviously put some thought into these proposals, and we hope they are well received by the rest of the County Commission.