Quick, thorough inspections needed at construction sites

[Omaha Steve]

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080609/OPED01/806090301/1098/OPED

June 9, 2008

Construction still can be a dangerous business despite all of the safety precautions that are taken these days.

But the tragic accidents that have plagued the industry lately -- particularly those involving cranes in Nevada and elsewhere -- must not be dismissed that casually. The death toll has been climbing, and it's critical to determine whether those deaths should have been prevented.

That's why the agreement of federal OSHA health and safety officers to join Nevada OSHA for a comprehensive inspection of the CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip beginning today is so important. The federal officers will bolster the Nevada staff and make it possible to complete the challenging task quickly and thoroughly.

The latest construction death in Nevada occurred on May 31, when a worker at CityCenter was caught between the track of a crane and its counterweight systems, according to the Associated Press. It was the sixth construction-related death at the $9.2 billion, 66-acre project, being built by Perini Building Co. of Massachusetts for MGM Mirage and Dubai World, over the past 16 months.

FULL story at link.