Nevada OSHA 10 & 30 hour for construction requirements

The passage of Assembly Bill No. 148 requires a certain health and safety training for construction workers and supervisors. AB 148 was passed in response to a sharp increase in construction worker deaths at construction sites on the Las Vegas Strip over the past two years. The bill is aimed at increasing workplace safety by heightening worker awareness of safety concerns and knowledge of best safety practices.

New Safety Training Requirements for Nevada Construction Workers

Beginning on January 1, 2010, AB requires:

• All construction workers in the state to undergo a 10-hour safety training course (OSHA-10) developed by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at least once every five years;
• All Supervisors on a construction site to undergo a 30-hour safety training course (OSHA-30) approved by OSHA at least once every five years.

The Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) will adopt regulations establishing courses which may be used to satisfy the training requirements. Courses will only be permitted to be provided by OSHA-approved "trainers" who have completed the OSHA 500 course.

Alternative Training through December 31, 2010

In addition, until January 1, 2011, employers may provide their own alternative course to the OSHA-10 or OSHA -30. The alternative courses must be approved by the safety committee of the employer (established pursuant to NRS 618.383) and meet or exceed the OSHA guidelines including, without limitation, federal safety and health regulatory requirements specific to the employer's industry. An employer that provides the "alternative" courses must maintain a record of all employees that completed the alternative course and make the records available to DIR at all times.

Effective January 1, 2011, employees will no longer have the option to complete employer-provided alternative courses instead of the OSHA courses.

Proof of Compliance Required

Both employees and supervisors will be required, within 15 days of hire, to present employers with proof that they completed the required coursework by showing valid "completion cards" for the appropriate course (10-hour or 30-hour). The required completion cards will be issued by Nevada OSHA. Once issued, the completion cards expire after five years. Employees may renew their completion cards within five years by showing proof of at least 5 hours (construction workers) or 15 hours (supervisors) of job-specific safety training that meets the guidelines to be established by the DIR.

Impact on contractors and construction workers

While the bill places responsibility on construction worker employees to obtain the training and show proof to the employer, it also burdens the employer with ensuring employee compliance. Both employee and employer face heavy penalties for noncompliance. Larger developers and employers of "seasonal" or temporary staff will face increased administrative costs, including potentially hiring additional staff, to review and retain proof of employees' compliance and to comply with DIR requests to review records.

You can find the specific provisions here

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Register/RegsReviewed/$R141-09A.pdf

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