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Trade News Release
Tuesday, April 18, 2000
Contact: Susan Hall Fleming
PHONE: (202) 693-1999

Nevada today became the 16th state to receive final approval from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for its state job safety and health plan.

In a ceremony today in Las Vegas, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Charles N. Jeffress presented the certificate of final approval to Roger Bremner, administrator of the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations.

"Today the Nevada program takes a major step in its partnership with federal OSHA. I am delighted to formally acknowledge your achievement and welcome you as a full, independent partner," said Jeffress.

Final approval for the Nevada state job safety and health plan signifies that federal OSHA formally relinquishes its standards and enforcement authority in areas covered by the a state's program.

Nevada covers occupational safety and health for private and public sector workers except private contractors on Indian lands and federal civilian employees. The Nevada Division of Industrial Relations administers the state plan.

Nevada's plan contains several unique features, including a requirement for safety and health programs for sites with 10 or more employees and joint labor-management safety and health committees for sites with 25 or more employees. The state also requires pre-construction safety conferences with its staff for certain construction projects.

While federal OSHA typically provides about half the funds for state plans, Nevada has contributed additional funds so that it now has nearly twice as many inspectors as the minimum necessary under federal requirements. The state has also conducted an extensive promotional campaign for its free consultation program, which helps small employers identify hazards, establish safety and health programs and comply voluntarily with OSHA standards.

OSHA proposed granting final approval to Nevada on Nov. 16, 1999, and received four submissions in response to its request for public comments. All four fully supported the state's plan and encouraged OSHA to grant final approval.

The state submitted its state plan to federal OSHA on Dec. 12, 1972, and the agency granted initial approval Dec. 28, 1973. On Aug. 13, 1981, OSHA certified Nevada as having completed all development steps and suspended concurrent enforcement on Dec. 9, 1981.

Nevada joins 15 other jurisdictions that have received final approval, including Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, the Virgin Islands, Virginia and Wyoming.

Notice of OSHA's granting of final approval to the Nevada program is scheduled to appear in today's Federal Register.

This news release is on the OSHA Internet homepage at http://www.osha.gov.

Information on this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999.