OSHA fines 7 Nevada businesses for violating coronavirus safety rules

Seven Nevada businesses were fined for failing to follow COVID-19 health and safety rules, Nevada’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration announced Thursday.

The Division of Industrial Relations found the seven businesses weren’t complying with one or more general and industry-specific directives and guidelines during a first visit and then a follow-up visit, OSHA said. Nevada’s overall business compliance rate would earn a B- in most classrooms.

Among the 2,257 businesses visited by OSHA, 82 percent of them as of July 15 were in compliance, OSHA announced. Compliance was at 86 percent in Northern Nevada and 80 percent in Southern Nevada.

Six of the seven businesses fined Thursday are in Northern Nevada while the seventh is in Las Vegas.

Two Walmarts in Carson City at 3200 Market St. and 3770 U.S. Highway 395 were each fined for $8,675 and a third in Las Vegas, a Walmart Neighborhood Market at 6151 W. Lake Mead Blvd., was fined $13,494, the release said.

Other businesses fined for noncompliance:

— Winco Foods, 2855 Northtowne Lane in Reno for $7,374

— RAC Guns and Ammo, LLC., 3030 Mill St. in Reno for $3,643

— The Home Depot, 921 Jacks Valley Road in Carson City for $8,675

— Grocery Outlet, 7 Dayton Village Road in Dayton for $6,073

Officials provided business employers “a notice and a request for compliance” during the first visit and opened formal investigations after they followed up and saw the businesses still weren’t complying.

The companies received notices warning them that failing to address the problems, which were not specified in the media release, could prompt an OSHA administrator to shut down the business until it has rectified its noncompliance.

Additionally, OSHA officials have followed up at 192 businesses and found 93 percent of them were complying with COVID-19 safety measures, the department announced.

OSHA reported the least compliant types of businesses were water parks (five observations and 40 percent compliance), casino-hotel pools (28 and 54 percent), bars and restaurant lounges (303 and 59 percent) and home improvement (40 and 68 percent).

Businesses categorized as medical, clothing, financial, recreation and other all had 100 percent compliance.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.