More than two years after a Reno-Sparks Convention Center employee died, the RSCVA board voted on a settlement with OSHA.
The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority tell us that it agreed with pay a fine of just more than $101,000.
The death occurred in January of 2023 - during an inspection.
An employee removing electrical cables from the ceiling fell more than 30 feet onto the concrete floor below. A subsequent OSHA report stated that he wasn't wearing protection when he fell.
OSHA originally fined the RSCVA $140,000, but they worked together to address safety issues and agreed on a lesser fine.
In response, the RSCVA sent this statement:
“Employee and customer safety is always the number one priority of the RSCVA. Staff has cooperated fully with OSHA and its investigators, and we are grateful for their guidance in working through this difficult process.”
AUGUST 22, 2023:
Nevada's Occupational Safety & Health Administration has fined the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority more than $140,000 following an employee death at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in January.
Nevada OSHA says that on January 30th at around 3:30 p.m. Ryan Wilkinson, an RSCVA employee was working to remove electrical cables from the ceiling of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center's Hall 3 when he left the catwalk and fell through the drop ceiling, 34 feet, to the concrete floor below.
Wilkinson was not wearing any type of fall protection when he fell through the ceiling tiles, according to OSHA's report.
There were fingerprints on the structures outside the catwalk, an indication, OSHA says, that employees might have left the catwalk previously.
A coroner's report says that Wilkinson died from multiple blunt force injuries.
Violations cited by OSHA include not providing proper training and protection for employees and failing to properly maintain equipment.
The citations also say that an electrical panel wasn't properly labeled, that an electrical disconnect box and a distribution box were not properly closed, and that employees were not properly protected from electrical shocks.
RSCVA has yet to pay any of the fines assessed. They have 30 days to request an informal conference, formally contest the violations or address the cited issues and pay.
"The safety and well-being of RSCVA employees, as well as event attendees, is always the highest priority for this organization," said the RSCVA in a statement. "The RSCVA is cooperating with OSHA completely and has already corrected many of the items OSHA has identified. The RSCVA has dedicated a full-time position to ensuring the continued safety of its customers and employees, and the organization remains committed to maintaining the highest operational safety standards in the nation."
