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North Carolina Workplace Deaths Nearly Three Times That Reported By State: Study

North Carolina Workplace Deaths Nearly Three Times That Reported By State
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By 

Associate Business Editor, The Huffington Post

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Far more North Carolina workers are dying on the job than the state is reporting.

The North Carolina Department of Labor reported 53 workplace fatalities in the state in 2011. But if you ask the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that number is almost three times higher, at 148, according to a recent report from the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health.

NCOS executive director Tom O’Connor says the state has every incentive to keep the number as low as possible.

“[The North Carolina Department of Labor is] seriously understating the reality of the problem,” Connor told The Huffington Post. “It’s in their interest to show that actually it’s this very small number of workers that dies on the job now.”

The issue of workplace fatalities has regained attention after an industrial disaster in West, Texas, earlier this month killed 15 and injured hundreds. Regulators missed many potential hazards in the lead up to the plant explosion, an indication that the company and government agencies both could have done more to protect workers.

The North Carolina Department of Labor only reports the workplace deaths that the agency has the authority to investigate, according to Dolores Quesenberry, a spokesperson for the agency. Meanwhile, the BLS report, which comes out months after the state’s report and is compiled with the state's help, includes fatalities that don’t fall under the North Carolina’s jurisdiction -- like transportation and workplace violence-related deaths -- on top of those already tracked by the state.

The state chooses to release the figures from its own survey at the beginning of each year because they are “timely and are fatalities within our jurisdiction," Quesenberry said. “By law, we can’t investigate a transportation fatality, not to mention we don’t even have the staff to do it,” she added.

The number of workplace fatalities in North Carolina has declined significantly over the past 10 years, the NCOS report notes. Still, the organization says the state could do more to prevent future incidents like imposing harsher fines on repeat offenders.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post stated that the North Carolina Department of Labor only tracks workplace fatalities it has the authority to investigate. It only reports fatalities it has the authority to investigate.

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Before You Go

13 Deadly Workplace Disasters
Rana Plaza Collapse -- Bangladesh -- 2013(01 of13)
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At least 1,000 workers died after a factory building near Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed in April, 2013. The building's owner was subsequently accused of ignoring signs the building was unsafe as well as illegally adding extra floors to the structure. (credit:AP)
West Fertilizer Co. Explosion -- West, Texas -- 2013(02 of13)
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After failing to disclose unsafe stores of ammonium nitrate, among other safety violations, a plant owned by West Fertilizer Co. exploded, killing 14 people and injuring 160.Clarification: A previous version of this slide indicated that 14 plant workers were killed. In fact, most victims were fire fighters and rescue workers. (credit:AP)
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire -- New York City -- 1911(03 of13)
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A national debate on workers' rights began after a fire spread though a Greenwich Village garment factory, called the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, in 1911. The cause of the fire, which claimed the lives of 145 workers, is still unknown.(AP Photo/File) (credit:AP)
Texas City Disaster -- Port of Texas City -- 1947(04 of13)
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Shortly after a fire broke out on board, the SS Grandcamp's cargo of 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate -- used for fertilizer -- exploded. The blast killed more than 400 people and is counted among one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.Correction: A previous version of this slide incorrectly stated that the SS Grandcamp was carrying only 2,300 pounds of ammonium nitrate. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Halifax Explosion -- Halifax, Nova Scotia -- 1917(05 of13)
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The Halifax explosion became known as the largest man-made pre-atomic explosion in history when the French ship Mont-Blanc, carrying almost 3,000 tons of explosives, collided with Norweigan ship Imo on December 6, 1917. About 1,800 people died and more than 9,000 were injured in the explosion, which reportedly even caused a small tsunami. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Union Carbide Gas Leak -- Bhopal, India -- 1984(06 of13)
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On December 3, 1984, a plant owned by U.S. chemical manufacturer Union Carbide leaked about 45 tons of gas in Bhopal, India. The gas spread to communities surrounding the plant, killing more than 2,000 people. It's estimated today that the spill may be responsible for more than 15,000 deaths. (credit:AP)
Courrières Mine Disaster -- Courrières, France -- 1906(07 of13)
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In one of the largest mine disasters in history, 1,060 miners died in northern France on March 10, 1906, after an explosion at Courrieres Colliery mines. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster -- Gauley Bridge, West Virginia -- 1927(08 of13)
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Officially, 476 mostly migrant and African-American workers died as a direct result of exposure to the mineral silica while working on the Hawk's Nest Tunnel in West Virginia. However, it's estimated that the actual number may be closer to 1,000, when also considering those who indirectly died as a result. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Honkeiko Colliery Mining Disaster -- Benxi, China -- 1942(09 of13)
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More than 1,500 workers were killed at the Honkeiko mine in northern China after a dust and gas explosion. The tragedy is regarded as the worst mining disaster of all time. (credit:AP)
PEMEX San Juanico Explosion -- San Juanico, Mexico -- 1984(10 of13)
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Almost one-third of Mexico City's entire gas supply exploded in 1984, killing 500 to 600 people and injuring thousands more when a gas leak at Petroleos Mexicanos plant in San Juanico spread to the complex's flare pit. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Monongah Mining Disaster -- West Virginia - -1907(11 of13)
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The worst mining disaster in U.S. history happened on December 6, 1907, when an underground explosion killed 362 workers. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Pemberton Mill Collapse -- Lawrence, Massachusetts -- 1860(12 of13)
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Faulty construction, as well as poor management decisions, have largely been blamed for the collapse of the five-story Pemberton Mill in 1860. The tragedy killed 145 workers. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Tazreen Fashions Factory Fire -- Bangladesh -- 2012(13 of13)
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More than 100 workers were killed in a blaze at the Tazreen Fashions Factory in December 2012. The factory had received multiple warnings and was denied a safety license before the deadly fire took place. (credit:AP)
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