May 4, 2010

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Reid today made the following statement on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Region 9 Reorganization Plan. Region 9, which encompasses the states of Nevada, Arizona, California and Hawaii, has been restructured to add U.S. territories in the Pacific. The reorganization also includes the establishment of an Area Office in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 
“I thank OSHA for making this effort to improve efficiency and better address the needs and concerns of the western region’s workforce. Nevada is among the fastest growing states and is home to one of largest construction industries in the nation. In order to keep up with the demand, the reorganization will establish of an Area Office in our state.  
 
“An office in Las Vegas has been long awaited—a wait that was too long for the twelve construction workers who lost their lives as a result of poor safety regulations.  OSHA’s presence in Nevada will allow its members to work more closely with Nevada’s leading workforces, monitoring progress and ensuring only the highest safety and health standards are in practice. With OSHA’s help, our state’s workplaces will adopt safer work practices, resulting in fewer accidents and less spending for accident and injury cases, making funds available to get Nevadans back on the job.”

###