Pulitizer Prize-winning Las Vegas Sun series puts spotlight on construction deaths and injuries

Las Vegas Sun Reporter Alexandra Berzon recently won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2008 series about the shocking number of workplace accidents and deaths that occur on construction sites along the city’s famous Strip.

Tourists visit Las Vegas for the gambling and the glitz and glamour, and in recent years, many of the city’s older casinos have been demolished to make way for newer, bigger, glitzier models. And in a city that literally never sleeps, the pressure is on to get these buildings constructed quickly so that the casinos can reopen and start raking in the money.

Because of lax oversight by OSHA and state regulators, negligence at construction sites and safety shortcuts, twelve construction workers died in 18 months. But after Berzon's series, people in power took notice and took action. And the deaths ceased, proving that good public service journalism can make a difference. 

Construction workers had been dying at a rate of one every six weeks in the $32 billion building boom on the Las Vegas Strip. But deaths stopped last year after the Las Vegas Sun exposed serious safety flaws on the sites and detailed how lax oversight by safety regulators failed to prevent accidents.

The stories forced state and federal investigations and became the subject of hearings in the U.S. House and Senate. Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid and others sent a letter to President Bush demanding safety reforms in the Labor Department.

As the Sun pursued the story, the newspaper reported on cozy relationships existing between safety regulators and builders. Angered by the revelations and continuing death toll, workers walked off the job at MGM Mirage's CityCenter, shutting down the largest private commercial development in U.S. history until the contractors agreed to safety improvements.

Twelve workers had died in 18 months. But after the improvements, the deaths stopped. No workers have died since June 2008.

You can read the entire Las Vegas Sun series and follow-up stories at the newspaper's Web site, as well as view OSHA inspection documents and see video coverage. If you don't have time to read the entire series -- though I would encourage you to do so -- the blog The Pump Handle has a good summary.

Sadly, many of the tragic deaths that occured on Las Vegas Strip construction sites could have been easily prevented if construction companies had followed safety rules and provided adequate equipment to workers. Unfortunately, this is the case with many workplace injuries and deaths. Often, these "accidents" are easily preventable, but so many times employers fail to follow the rules fail to provide their employees have proper tools and equipment that will keep them safe.

In Las Vegas, for example, many workers died because there were working without safety nets. These nets are supposed to be used every two floors, but in the zeal to finish the casino construction jobs quickly -- and on budget -- some construction companies scrimped on this simple, yet crucial, piece of safety equipment.

They were in essence gambling with their employees lives. And even in a town like Vegas, no one likes those odds.

We're thankful that  the Las Vegas Sun and Alexandra Berzon spotlighted this deadly issue and we congratulate them on a much deserved Pulitzer Prize.