Nevada notes higher rates of face covering compliance during statewide July 6 observations
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 07/07/2020 - 3:03pm
In an effort to protect Nevada’s workers and educate businesses on the latest requirements so that Nevada can stay safe and stay open during the pandemic, the Division of Industrial Relations Occupation Safety and Health Administration is conducting ongoing field observations and inspections at establishments where patrons congregate for longer periods of time, which can lead to a heightened risk of spreading COVID-19.
Since the Governor’s Declaration of Emergency Directive 024 went into effect on June 26, approximately 86 percent of businesses in northern Nevada and 67 percent of businesses in southern Nevada were in compliance on the date of the initial observation.
The Division has conducted 1090 initial field observations at large and small establishments including grocery, home improvement and clothing stores, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors, bars and restaurant lounges, casino hotel gaming floors and pools.
On July 6, officials visited 169 locations including but not limited to convenience stores, restaurants, auto sales and maintenance, pharmacies, and general retail establishments and found a statewide compliance rate of 87 percent; 89 percent in northern Nevada and 79 percent in the south.
(Daily compliance rates will vary significantly from day-to-day based on the number of observations and the types of business surveyed. Industries targeted for observation where high rates of noncompliance are found will heavily skew the average compliance rate for that day.)
Highlights from the survey found compliance rates of identified business types including:
— Convenience stores- 74 percent compliance
— Pharmacies- 82 percent compliance
— General retail- 87 percent compliance
— Restaurants- 93 percent compliance
— Automobile sales and maintenance- 100 percent compliance
In addition, the division is currently conducting follow up visits at locations where noncompliance was found during the initial observation.
If a violation is found during the follow up visit, a notice of citation and penalty will be issued. The maximum penalty of $134,940 can be assessed to an employer that willfully violates the provisions of the directive.
The business will also be a notice indicating that in the event of future noncompliance, the administrator may issue an order requiring the business to cease all activity at the business location during this state of emergency under NRS 618.545(1) until the business has established and implemented operating procedures to comply with the requirements.
Nevada OSHA has received over 1,000 COVID-19 safety-related complaints since mid-March. Since the face covering mandate went into effect, complaint volume received by the established hotlines has increased significantly.
Additional staff has been assigned to help assist with these call volumes. The agency is collaborating with local jurisdictions and other regulatory agencies through information sharing and response coordination to address the most critical and pressing complaints.
Due to high call volumes, employees are encouraged to file complaints online at https://www.osha.gov/pls/osha7/eComplaintForm.html
- 000
- activity
- agency
- Business
- Casino
- clothing
- COVID-19
- day
- Emergency
- event
- gaming
- Health
- help
- home
- Home Improvement
- Industrial
- information
- July
- Latest
- local
- maintenance
- May
- Nevada
- News
- Northern Nevada
- online
- Order
- pandemic
- Rates
- restaurant
- restaurants
- Safe
- Safety
- sales
- south
- staff
- state
- stores
- survey
- Tattoo
- Workers
