In a ceremony yesterday in Las Vegas, OSHA Administrator Charles N. Jeffress presented the certificate of final approval to Roger Bremner, administrator of the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations.
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 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.
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 can appear in yesterday's Federal Register.