Better safety starts with better staffing

George Butler, Mesquite

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

I was most interested in the article Alexandra Berzon wrote in Sunday’s Las Vegas Sun, “Pace is new peril.”

I started my career in occupational health and safety in 1962 (seven years before the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed) with the U.S. Public Health Service. After the OSHA legislation was passed, I stayed with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (I have since retired.)

At that time our main objective was to get the states actively engaged in worker safety and health programs. Nevada was one of the states that had a minimal worker safety program with an attitude of “don’t rock the boat.” I believe it has significantly improved over the years.

However, it seems the state still manages by crisis, and I see an associated parallel between the recent excessive construction fatalities and the hepatitis C incident. Now the state of Nevada is saying more inspections, training, etc., should have taken place, but no mention is ever made that to do so it’s necessary to have more staff. The state Occupational Safety and Health Division can carry out only as much employee/employer training and field inspections as it has staff and funding available.

It’s about the same for the contractors and business owners. Many of them have their own in-house safety and health programs that do a fine job, but they also are limited in staff and funding. I wish there was a simple answer that would prevent these accidents, but there isn’t.