Penalties for workplace safety violations rise in Nevada

Penalties for safety violations in Nevada increased for employers in the state Tuesday, but the change in the law also increases the amount of time employers have to contest a citation.

In May, Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law S.B. 40, which raised the financial penalties levied by the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations against businesses for occupational safety violations to match penalties assessed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Prior to the implementation of the law on Tuesday, penalties for serious violations in Nevada were $7,000 per incident — and hadn’t been changed since the 1990s. Now a serious violation will carry a penalty of $13,260, the same financial assessment for serious OSHA violations. Willful violations, which previously were capped at $70,000 per violation, will rise to $132,598.

Employers will, however, have 30 calendar days to contest an occupational safety or health citation or proposed penalty, up from 15 working days.