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By Tony Eggleston Senior Training Specialist The U. S. Department of Labor has selected the Industrial Extension Service at N. C. State University to be a Regional Training Center for the OSHA Training Institute. Eight new centers were selected through a national competition announced last July. Applicant organizations were evaluated based on occu-pational safety and health experience, continuing educa-tion training background, classroom and laboratory availability, and the ability to provide training throughout the region. The OTI Education Centers program was created in 1992 to complement the OSHA Training Institute in Arlington Heights, Ill., which is OSHA’s premier training provider. The OTI Education Centers provide training nationwide to private sector and government employees. “ The entire team, including our partners, is so excited for what this program can do for North Carolina and the surrounding states,” said Wendy Laing, the IES program manager. The team for this long- term program includes IES and NCSU, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tennessee, and the Carolinas Association of General Contractors. In addition, the other members of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership will be hosting classes. Counterparts in the MEP are located in Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. “ We are pleased to add the new OSHA Training Institute Education Centers in our continuing effort to promote employee safety and health through training,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. “ These centers will extend access to a greater number of individuals who seek to incorporate OSHA safety and health practices into their workplaces.” With a full- time designation as a Regional Training Center, the IES will prepare training programs to reflect the needs of employers in and around North Carolina. Early plans include making available the 500 series of topics, which are various levels of train- the- trainer subjects for both general industry and construction oriented trainers. IES anticipates subjects such as hazardous materials, machine guarding and industrial hygiene subjects to be among the early course offerings. The NCDOL Occupational Safety and Health Division’s Bureau of Education, Training and Technical Assistance is in a long- term alliance with the NCSU Industrial Extension Service and will be supporting the IES in this new program. Wanda Lagoe, ETTA bureau chief, recently met with Wendy Laing to discuss the early stages of development of the Regional Training Center and status of other alliance pro-grams, such as the Master of Environment, Safety and Health ( MESH) training program. This program has gained wide-spread recognition and has become recognized as a necessary credential for safety and health practitioners. NC Labor N. C. State Selected as OSHA Regional Training Center LEDGER January/ February 2008 ETTA bureau chief Wanda Lagoe ( left) meets with IES program managerWendy Laing after learning that N. C. State University was selected as a Regional Training Center for the OSHA Training Institute. NC Labor LEDGER Get your FREE electronic Ledger subscription today! www. nclabor. com/ news/ ledgersubs. htm Inside this edition: First Subcontractor Achieves Building Star Status page 3 Posting of Injury and Illness Summary Required page 3 Workplace Worries page 4 Deadly Mistakes page 4 Workplace Fatalities Post Record Decrease page 5 Bulletin Board page 6 2 From Commissioner Cherie Berry Cherie Berry Commissioner Editor........................................................................ Neal O’Briant Layout and Design.............................................. Jeff Wilson Publications Bureau Chief.................... Mike Daniels 1101 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 1- 800- 625- 2267 • www. nclabor. com Recognition Roundup recognizes businesses that qualify for one of the N. C. Department of Labor recognition programs. Congratulations to all of the recent award recipients. Recognition Roundup Figures released recently brought good news to North Carolina as 20 fewer lives were lost in workplace acci-dents in 2007 than in the previous year. Our injuries and illnesses in the workplace remains at a record low rate of 4.0 for every 100 full- time employees in private industry. We cannot accomplish our goals without the help of employers and employees across the state. Each spring and early summer, I get to meet many of the men and women who have contributed to the growing awareness of safety and health on the job at the Safety Award banquets throughout the state. It’s just one chance to say thank you and to give you a small bit of the recognition you deserve. We know our safety message is getting through to these employers and employees. We need your help in spreading it farther. Tell your colleagues about our free consultative services and training programs. Let your neighbors know about what you learned in one of our 10- hour courses or at one of the safety schools. Our mission is to help businesses improve workplace safety and to reward companies for their efforts. But the real reward is when someone takes a safer route at doing a job because you have shared your knowledge. You could prevent someone from becoming another statistic. Carolina Star Award Corning Cable Systems, Hickory Cable Facility, Hickory Building Star Award D. H. Griffin Construction Co., Raleigh Shaw Group— Shaw Constructors Inc., Charlotte ( recertification) Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program ( SHARP) Award Mannington Wood Floors, High Point The following Safety Award banquets are scheduled for March and April: Date Time City March 25 7 p. m. Lincolnton April 1 Noon Asheboro April 22 6 p. m. Roxboro April 24 Noon Concord April 29 6: 30 p. m. Greenville April 30 Noon Burlington Contact Heather Crews at ( 919) 807- 2908 or Heather. Crews@ nclabor. com for more information about the Safety Awards Program. Safety Award Banquets Make safety one of your New Year’s resolutions! CFE Inc. in Apex is the first subcontractor to receive the N. C. Department of Labor’s Building Star designation. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented the company’s employees with the Carolina Star flag at a ceremony Nov. 30. The Building Star Program recognizes companies in the building and construction industry that meet the stringent requirements of the Carolina Star program. At first, the Building Star program was aimed only toward general contractors. NCDOL opened up the program in October 2006 to allow subcontractors to apply. CFE is a subsidiary of Evans Roofing Co. of Elmira, N. Y. The Apex office employs 50 associates, and 70 percent of the workforce is Hispanic. The company has created a culture where all associates are able to work together safely and are able to effectively communicate company safety requirements to their fellow associates, customers and other contractors. “ This was not a mild undertaking,” said Dave Batrony, corporate risk manager for Evans Roofing Co. “ We work together to provide a safe working environment for all of our associates and anyone that comes onto our jobsites. Our CFE North Carolina Division is dedicated to working productively without sacrificing safety or quality. This has enabled us to achieve a TCIR rate 88 percent below the industry average and a DART rate 100 percent below the national average. The associates at CFE Inc. are a family and care about the safety of their co- workers.” The company applied for the North Carolina Building Star recognition in February 2007, with a site evaluation completed in June 2007. In September 2007, the company was approved as the N. C. Department of Labor’s first subcontractor in the Building Star Program. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry joins the employees of CFE Inc. in Apex to celebrate its achievement as the first subcontractor to earn Building Star status. 3 First Subcontractor Achieves Prestigious Building Star Status By Neal O’Briant Public Information Officer Employers are reminded that they must post a summary of job- related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2007. The N. C. Department of Labor requires the summary be posted from Feb. 1 through April 30. Most employers must keep a Log of Work- Related Injuries and Illnesses ( Form 300) that records all work-related fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The Summary ( Form 300A) is compiled from the data on the log. Companies without any injuries and illnesses should post the summary with zeroes on the total lines. “ This posting requirement is an important way employers keep their employees informed about safety and health con-ditions in the workplace,” said Wanda Lagoe, bureau chief of the Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau. Companies that had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year are exempt from keeping injury and illness logs and posting summaries unless informed otherwise. Certain businesses classified in a specific low- hazard retail, service, finance, insurance or real estate industry are also exempt from keeping injury and illness logs and posting summaries unless requested to do so for survey purposes. For more information about recording criteria or for a list of exempt industries, contact the Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau at 1- 800- 625- 2267. To down-load a free copy of the OSHA 300, 300A or OSHA 301, as well as recordkeeping instructions, visit our Web site at www. nclabor. com and click on the Publications tab. Posting of Injury and Illness Summary Required Keep up with all the safety events and educational opportunities featured on the NCDOL Bulletin Board! Western Carolina Safety School Sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers, Western Carolina Chapter April 3, 2008 Hickory Contact Gary Barger at ( 828) 302- 3788. By Steve Sykes State Plan Coordinator Fatal Events: On Oct. 20, 2006, a 28- year- old worker assigned to a paving crew was killed when he was struck by a truck that was spraying an adhesive designed to bond the old and new asphalt together on the road. Struck- by accidents were the leading cause of construction deaths in FY 2007 with eight fatalities. Ageneral contractor had been hired to complete road resur-facing on a street in a residential neighborhood. The victim had been assigned to the paving crew to complete the job. The employee was normally assigned to a maintenance crew but was placed with the paving crew that day as a fill- in to perform the duties of a flagger. The deceased had worked with the general contractor for two months and 13 days. A truck driver had been instructed to spray an adhesive on the road that was being repaved. The truck driver instructed the victim and another employee to move before he put the truck in reverse. The truck driver did not employ a spotter while he backed up but stated that he used the side mirrors and did not see the victim in the road. Another employee who witnessed the accident said he heard the backup alarm. The employee tried to warn the victim of the truck, and he did not understand why the victim did not move out of the way. Investigation Results The investigation determined that the truck driver did not confirm that it was safe to back up as required by company policy. The victim had received orientation training but not training on the dangers associated with flagger duties. There was not an established training program for employees serving as flaggers even though the use of flaggers was a routine part of paving jobs. Any flagger training was conducted orally by the crew foreman and varied in content from job to job. The victim was wearing a high visibility vest but had not been issued a hand signaling device to direct traffic or a two- way radio to communicate with the two other flaggers on the job site. Recommendations Employees should be trained in the hazards associated with their job. An employer should conduct a job safety analysis to identify hazards and to develop methods to avoid accidents. New employees should be monitored to make sure that they are following all safety and health rules. Training should be provided when job changes are initiated. Q: I own a business in the private sector. Can I give comp time to my employees instead of paying them time and one- half overtime pay? A: No. Abusiness in the private sector cannot give comp time in lieu of paying the time and one- half overtime pay for the hours its non- exempt employees work in excess of 40 in a workweek. You may be thinking of government employers in the public sector who are allowed under federal labor law to give their employees time and one- half comp time hours for the hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek in lieu of overtime pay with certain restrictions. A business in the private sector can give comp time to its bona fide exempt employees since these employees do not have to be paid time and one- half overtime pay. Such a comp time policy may be hour- for- hour but must be in writing as with any other wage benefit policy. Q: Who would be a bona fide exempt employee? A: The N. C. Wage and Hour Act refers to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act for a definition of bona fide employees. In general, a job title alone is not sufficient to establish the exempt status of an employee. The exempt or nonexempt status of any particular employee must be determined on the basis of whether the employee’s salary and duties meet the require-ments of the regulations. See Fact Sheet # 17A put out by the federal Wage and Hour Division: www. dol. gov/ esa/ regs/ compli-ance/ whd/ fairpay/ fs17a_ overview. pdf. 4 Charlotte Safety and Health School April 24- 25, 2008 Charlotte Contact Russell McCue at ( 704) 665- 4341. Eastern Carolina Safety and Health School April 10- 11, 2008 Sheraton Atlantic Beach Contact John Hodge at ( 252) 672- 7329. 5 By Neal O’Briant Public Information Officer Fatalities from workplace accidents fell 30 percent in North Carolina last year— the largest decrease ever record-ed— according to figures released recently by the N. C. Department of Labor. The number of fatal work accidents fell from 65 in 2006 to 45 in 2007. The N. C. Department of Labor investigated 68 workplace fatalities in 2005 and 75 in 2004. Non- work-related fatalities involving medical conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are not included in these totals. “ I credit the employers and employees of our state for continuing to emphasize safety in the workplace,” Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. “ We have noticed improvements during the past few years, but this ( 30) percent drop is remarkable.” “ And yet, I am saddened by every fatality,” Berry said. “ Even one fatality affects many people— the family, co-workers, the community. I want all workers to return home safe and healthy to their families, loved ones and friends.” In 2000, North Carolina had a workplace injury and illness rate of 5.7 cases for every 100 full- time workers in the private sector. The latest U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show by 2006 the state’s injury and illness rate had dropped to 4.0 in the private sector. The national rate was 4.4 for 2006. “ The business and industry leaders of our state realize that workplace safety training pays big dividends,” Berry said. “ We get to see these results in this huge reduction in work-place fatalities, but they’re seeing it every day in increased productivity and reduced workers’ compensation costs. Asafe work environment contributes to economic development.” Of the 45 fatalities, 20 occurred in construction. Another 11 took place in manufacturing. Seven fatalities occurred in the retail trade and wholesale trade sectors, and three fatalities occurred in the services industry. The forestry industry had two fatalities, as did the transportation industry. More than two- thirds of North Carolina’s counties had no work- related fatalities. Wake County experienced the most fatalities with four, followed by Cumberland County with three. Eight counties had two fatalities. They were Chowan, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wilson. There were 22 counties that experienced one fatality. Among racial groups, whites had 30 fatalities and blacks had eight. There were six Hispanic victims, a 57 percent decrease from the 14 in 2006. There was one Asian victim. The leading cause of the work- related fatalities was being crushed by an object with 18 of the fatalities, followed by 12 fatalities involving being struck by an object. Six North Carolinians suffered fatal slips or falls. Two workers were electrocuted, and two died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Another five workers died in various other event categories. Workplace Fatalities Post Record Decrease Agriculture Safety and Health..........................( 919) 807- 2923 Apprenticeship..............................................................( 919) 733- 7533 Boiler and Pressure Vessels ..................................( 919) 807- 2760 Consultative Services............................................( 919) 807- 2899 Education, Training and Technical Assistance ( ETTA)............................( 919) 807- 2875 Elevator and Amusement Devices..................( 919) 807- 2770 Employment Discrimination..............................( 919) 807- 2831 Library............................................................................( 919) 807- 2848 Mine and Quarry....................................................( 919) 807- 2790 OSH Compliance........................................................( 919) 779- 8570 Wage and Hour..........................................................( 919) 807- 2796 1- 800- 625- 2267 www. nclabor. com Cherie Berry, Commissioner of Labor Safety Quick Cards are now available! View our extensive titles at www. nclabor. com 6 Wage and Hour Seminars Feb. 21 The Enrichment Center, Winston- Salem Contact Shannon Council at ( 919) 807- 2797. Feb. 28 Neal Senior Center, Shelby Contact Dawn Beasley at ( 919) 807- 2798. March 4 Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce, Wake Forest Contact Shannon Council at ( 919) 807- 2797. 10- Hour General Industry March 5- 6 A- B Tech Community College, Asheville Contact Jill Sparks at ( 828) 254- 1921 Ext. 5849 or jsparks@ abtech. edu. 10- Hour Construction Course March 13- 14 Raleigh Contact Tamika Hackney at ( 919) 508- 1822 or tdhackney@ dot. state. nc. us. Long Term Care 10- Hour General Industry March 25- 26 Well Spring Retirement Community, Greensboro Contact Carol Owens at ( 336) 545- 5385 or cowens@ well- spring. org. 31st N. C. Mine Safety and Health Conference April 9- 10 Concord Contact William Gerringer at ( 919) 807- 2790 or William. Gerringer@ nclabor. com. 10- Hour General Industry April 16- 17 Research Triangle Park Contact Richard Pereira at ( 336) 215- 9844 or Richard. Pereira@ grainger. com. Western Carolina Safety School Sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers, Western Carolina Chapter April 3 Hickory Contact Gary Barger at ( 828) 302- 3788. Eastern Carolina Safety and Health School April 10- 11 Atlantic Beach Contact John Hodge at ( 252) 672- 7329. www. ecshs. com Charlotte Safety and Health School April 24- 25 Charlotte Contact Russell McCue at ( 704) 665- 4341. www. charlottesafetyschool. com
Object Description
Description
Title | NC labor ledger. |
Date | 2008 |
Subjects |
North Carolina. Department of Labor--Periodicals Industrial relations--North Carolina--Periodicals Labor policy--North Carolina--Periodicals Labor laws and legislation--North Carolina--Periodicals |
Description | January/February 2008 |
Publisher | N.C. Dept of Labor |
Agency-Current | North Carolina Department of Labor |
Type | Text |
Language | English |
Digital Characteristics-A | 921 KB; 6 p. |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Related Items | http://www.nclabor.com/news/ledger.htm; http://worldcat.org/oclc/51989157/viewonline |
Title Replaces | North Carolina. Department of Labor. Labor ledger : for North Carolina employers and employees |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_borndigital\images_master\ |
Full Text | By Tony Eggleston Senior Training Specialist The U. S. Department of Labor has selected the Industrial Extension Service at N. C. State University to be a Regional Training Center for the OSHA Training Institute. Eight new centers were selected through a national competition announced last July. Applicant organizations were evaluated based on occu-pational safety and health experience, continuing educa-tion training background, classroom and laboratory availability, and the ability to provide training throughout the region. The OTI Education Centers program was created in 1992 to complement the OSHA Training Institute in Arlington Heights, Ill., which is OSHA’s premier training provider. The OTI Education Centers provide training nationwide to private sector and government employees. “ The entire team, including our partners, is so excited for what this program can do for North Carolina and the surrounding states,” said Wendy Laing, the IES program manager. The team for this long- term program includes IES and NCSU, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tennessee, and the Carolinas Association of General Contractors. In addition, the other members of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership will be hosting classes. Counterparts in the MEP are located in Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. “ We are pleased to add the new OSHA Training Institute Education Centers in our continuing effort to promote employee safety and health through training,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. “ These centers will extend access to a greater number of individuals who seek to incorporate OSHA safety and health practices into their workplaces.” With a full- time designation as a Regional Training Center, the IES will prepare training programs to reflect the needs of employers in and around North Carolina. Early plans include making available the 500 series of topics, which are various levels of train- the- trainer subjects for both general industry and construction oriented trainers. IES anticipates subjects such as hazardous materials, machine guarding and industrial hygiene subjects to be among the early course offerings. The NCDOL Occupational Safety and Health Division’s Bureau of Education, Training and Technical Assistance is in a long- term alliance with the NCSU Industrial Extension Service and will be supporting the IES in this new program. Wanda Lagoe, ETTA bureau chief, recently met with Wendy Laing to discuss the early stages of development of the Regional Training Center and status of other alliance pro-grams, such as the Master of Environment, Safety and Health ( MESH) training program. This program has gained wide-spread recognition and has become recognized as a necessary credential for safety and health practitioners. NC Labor N. C. State Selected as OSHA Regional Training Center LEDGER January/ February 2008 ETTA bureau chief Wanda Lagoe ( left) meets with IES program managerWendy Laing after learning that N. C. State University was selected as a Regional Training Center for the OSHA Training Institute. NC Labor LEDGER Get your FREE electronic Ledger subscription today! www. nclabor. com/ news/ ledgersubs. htm Inside this edition: First Subcontractor Achieves Building Star Status page 3 Posting of Injury and Illness Summary Required page 3 Workplace Worries page 4 Deadly Mistakes page 4 Workplace Fatalities Post Record Decrease page 5 Bulletin Board page 6 2 From Commissioner Cherie Berry Cherie Berry Commissioner Editor........................................................................ Neal O’Briant Layout and Design.............................................. Jeff Wilson Publications Bureau Chief.................... Mike Daniels 1101 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 1- 800- 625- 2267 • www. nclabor. com Recognition Roundup recognizes businesses that qualify for one of the N. C. Department of Labor recognition programs. Congratulations to all of the recent award recipients. Recognition Roundup Figures released recently brought good news to North Carolina as 20 fewer lives were lost in workplace acci-dents in 2007 than in the previous year. Our injuries and illnesses in the workplace remains at a record low rate of 4.0 for every 100 full- time employees in private industry. We cannot accomplish our goals without the help of employers and employees across the state. Each spring and early summer, I get to meet many of the men and women who have contributed to the growing awareness of safety and health on the job at the Safety Award banquets throughout the state. It’s just one chance to say thank you and to give you a small bit of the recognition you deserve. We know our safety message is getting through to these employers and employees. We need your help in spreading it farther. Tell your colleagues about our free consultative services and training programs. Let your neighbors know about what you learned in one of our 10- hour courses or at one of the safety schools. Our mission is to help businesses improve workplace safety and to reward companies for their efforts. But the real reward is when someone takes a safer route at doing a job because you have shared your knowledge. You could prevent someone from becoming another statistic. Carolina Star Award Corning Cable Systems, Hickory Cable Facility, Hickory Building Star Award D. H. Griffin Construction Co., Raleigh Shaw Group— Shaw Constructors Inc., Charlotte ( recertification) Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program ( SHARP) Award Mannington Wood Floors, High Point The following Safety Award banquets are scheduled for March and April: Date Time City March 25 7 p. m. Lincolnton April 1 Noon Asheboro April 22 6 p. m. Roxboro April 24 Noon Concord April 29 6: 30 p. m. Greenville April 30 Noon Burlington Contact Heather Crews at ( 919) 807- 2908 or Heather. Crews@ nclabor. com for more information about the Safety Awards Program. Safety Award Banquets Make safety one of your New Year’s resolutions! CFE Inc. in Apex is the first subcontractor to receive the N. C. Department of Labor’s Building Star designation. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented the company’s employees with the Carolina Star flag at a ceremony Nov. 30. The Building Star Program recognizes companies in the building and construction industry that meet the stringent requirements of the Carolina Star program. At first, the Building Star program was aimed only toward general contractors. NCDOL opened up the program in October 2006 to allow subcontractors to apply. CFE is a subsidiary of Evans Roofing Co. of Elmira, N. Y. The Apex office employs 50 associates, and 70 percent of the workforce is Hispanic. The company has created a culture where all associates are able to work together safely and are able to effectively communicate company safety requirements to their fellow associates, customers and other contractors. “ This was not a mild undertaking,” said Dave Batrony, corporate risk manager for Evans Roofing Co. “ We work together to provide a safe working environment for all of our associates and anyone that comes onto our jobsites. Our CFE North Carolina Division is dedicated to working productively without sacrificing safety or quality. This has enabled us to achieve a TCIR rate 88 percent below the industry average and a DART rate 100 percent below the national average. The associates at CFE Inc. are a family and care about the safety of their co- workers.” The company applied for the North Carolina Building Star recognition in February 2007, with a site evaluation completed in June 2007. In September 2007, the company was approved as the N. C. Department of Labor’s first subcontractor in the Building Star Program. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry joins the employees of CFE Inc. in Apex to celebrate its achievement as the first subcontractor to earn Building Star status. 3 First Subcontractor Achieves Prestigious Building Star Status By Neal O’Briant Public Information Officer Employers are reminded that they must post a summary of job- related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2007. The N. C. Department of Labor requires the summary be posted from Feb. 1 through April 30. Most employers must keep a Log of Work- Related Injuries and Illnesses ( Form 300) that records all work-related fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The Summary ( Form 300A) is compiled from the data on the log. Companies without any injuries and illnesses should post the summary with zeroes on the total lines. “ This posting requirement is an important way employers keep their employees informed about safety and health con-ditions in the workplace,” said Wanda Lagoe, bureau chief of the Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau. Companies that had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year are exempt from keeping injury and illness logs and posting summaries unless informed otherwise. Certain businesses classified in a specific low- hazard retail, service, finance, insurance or real estate industry are also exempt from keeping injury and illness logs and posting summaries unless requested to do so for survey purposes. For more information about recording criteria or for a list of exempt industries, contact the Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau at 1- 800- 625- 2267. To down-load a free copy of the OSHA 300, 300A or OSHA 301, as well as recordkeeping instructions, visit our Web site at www. nclabor. com and click on the Publications tab. Posting of Injury and Illness Summary Required Keep up with all the safety events and educational opportunities featured on the NCDOL Bulletin Board! Western Carolina Safety School Sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers, Western Carolina Chapter April 3, 2008 Hickory Contact Gary Barger at ( 828) 302- 3788. By Steve Sykes State Plan Coordinator Fatal Events: On Oct. 20, 2006, a 28- year- old worker assigned to a paving crew was killed when he was struck by a truck that was spraying an adhesive designed to bond the old and new asphalt together on the road. Struck- by accidents were the leading cause of construction deaths in FY 2007 with eight fatalities. Ageneral contractor had been hired to complete road resur-facing on a street in a residential neighborhood. The victim had been assigned to the paving crew to complete the job. The employee was normally assigned to a maintenance crew but was placed with the paving crew that day as a fill- in to perform the duties of a flagger. The deceased had worked with the general contractor for two months and 13 days. A truck driver had been instructed to spray an adhesive on the road that was being repaved. The truck driver instructed the victim and another employee to move before he put the truck in reverse. The truck driver did not employ a spotter while he backed up but stated that he used the side mirrors and did not see the victim in the road. Another employee who witnessed the accident said he heard the backup alarm. The employee tried to warn the victim of the truck, and he did not understand why the victim did not move out of the way. Investigation Results The investigation determined that the truck driver did not confirm that it was safe to back up as required by company policy. The victim had received orientation training but not training on the dangers associated with flagger duties. There was not an established training program for employees serving as flaggers even though the use of flaggers was a routine part of paving jobs. Any flagger training was conducted orally by the crew foreman and varied in content from job to job. The victim was wearing a high visibility vest but had not been issued a hand signaling device to direct traffic or a two- way radio to communicate with the two other flaggers on the job site. Recommendations Employees should be trained in the hazards associated with their job. An employer should conduct a job safety analysis to identify hazards and to develop methods to avoid accidents. New employees should be monitored to make sure that they are following all safety and health rules. Training should be provided when job changes are initiated. Q: I own a business in the private sector. Can I give comp time to my employees instead of paying them time and one- half overtime pay? A: No. Abusiness in the private sector cannot give comp time in lieu of paying the time and one- half overtime pay for the hours its non- exempt employees work in excess of 40 in a workweek. You may be thinking of government employers in the public sector who are allowed under federal labor law to give their employees time and one- half comp time hours for the hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek in lieu of overtime pay with certain restrictions. A business in the private sector can give comp time to its bona fide exempt employees since these employees do not have to be paid time and one- half overtime pay. Such a comp time policy may be hour- for- hour but must be in writing as with any other wage benefit policy. Q: Who would be a bona fide exempt employee? A: The N. C. Wage and Hour Act refers to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act for a definition of bona fide employees. In general, a job title alone is not sufficient to establish the exempt status of an employee. The exempt or nonexempt status of any particular employee must be determined on the basis of whether the employee’s salary and duties meet the require-ments of the regulations. See Fact Sheet # 17A put out by the federal Wage and Hour Division: www. dol. gov/ esa/ regs/ compli-ance/ whd/ fairpay/ fs17a_ overview. pdf. 4 Charlotte Safety and Health School April 24- 25, 2008 Charlotte Contact Russell McCue at ( 704) 665- 4341. Eastern Carolina Safety and Health School April 10- 11, 2008 Sheraton Atlantic Beach Contact John Hodge at ( 252) 672- 7329. 5 By Neal O’Briant Public Information Officer Fatalities from workplace accidents fell 30 percent in North Carolina last year— the largest decrease ever record-ed— according to figures released recently by the N. C. Department of Labor. The number of fatal work accidents fell from 65 in 2006 to 45 in 2007. The N. C. Department of Labor investigated 68 workplace fatalities in 2005 and 75 in 2004. Non- work-related fatalities involving medical conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are not included in these totals. “ I credit the employers and employees of our state for continuing to emphasize safety in the workplace,” Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. “ We have noticed improvements during the past few years, but this ( 30) percent drop is remarkable.” “ And yet, I am saddened by every fatality,” Berry said. “ Even one fatality affects many people— the family, co-workers, the community. I want all workers to return home safe and healthy to their families, loved ones and friends.” In 2000, North Carolina had a workplace injury and illness rate of 5.7 cases for every 100 full- time workers in the private sector. The latest U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show by 2006 the state’s injury and illness rate had dropped to 4.0 in the private sector. The national rate was 4.4 for 2006. “ The business and industry leaders of our state realize that workplace safety training pays big dividends,” Berry said. “ We get to see these results in this huge reduction in work-place fatalities, but they’re seeing it every day in increased productivity and reduced workers’ compensation costs. Asafe work environment contributes to economic development.” Of the 45 fatalities, 20 occurred in construction. Another 11 took place in manufacturing. Seven fatalities occurred in the retail trade and wholesale trade sectors, and three fatalities occurred in the services industry. The forestry industry had two fatalities, as did the transportation industry. More than two- thirds of North Carolina’s counties had no work- related fatalities. Wake County experienced the most fatalities with four, followed by Cumberland County with three. Eight counties had two fatalities. They were Chowan, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wilson. There were 22 counties that experienced one fatality. Among racial groups, whites had 30 fatalities and blacks had eight. There were six Hispanic victims, a 57 percent decrease from the 14 in 2006. There was one Asian victim. The leading cause of the work- related fatalities was being crushed by an object with 18 of the fatalities, followed by 12 fatalities involving being struck by an object. Six North Carolinians suffered fatal slips or falls. Two workers were electrocuted, and two died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Another five workers died in various other event categories. Workplace Fatalities Post Record Decrease Agriculture Safety and Health..........................( 919) 807- 2923 Apprenticeship..............................................................( 919) 733- 7533 Boiler and Pressure Vessels ..................................( 919) 807- 2760 Consultative Services............................................( 919) 807- 2899 Education, Training and Technical Assistance ( ETTA)............................( 919) 807- 2875 Elevator and Amusement Devices..................( 919) 807- 2770 Employment Discrimination..............................( 919) 807- 2831 Library............................................................................( 919) 807- 2848 Mine and Quarry....................................................( 919) 807- 2790 OSH Compliance........................................................( 919) 779- 8570 Wage and Hour..........................................................( 919) 807- 2796 1- 800- 625- 2267 www. nclabor. com Cherie Berry, Commissioner of Labor Safety Quick Cards are now available! View our extensive titles at www. nclabor. com 6 Wage and Hour Seminars Feb. 21 The Enrichment Center, Winston- Salem Contact Shannon Council at ( 919) 807- 2797. Feb. 28 Neal Senior Center, Shelby Contact Dawn Beasley at ( 919) 807- 2798. March 4 Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce, Wake Forest Contact Shannon Council at ( 919) 807- 2797. 10- Hour General Industry March 5- 6 A- B Tech Community College, Asheville Contact Jill Sparks at ( 828) 254- 1921 Ext. 5849 or jsparks@ abtech. edu. 10- Hour Construction Course March 13- 14 Raleigh Contact Tamika Hackney at ( 919) 508- 1822 or tdhackney@ dot. state. nc. us. Long Term Care 10- Hour General Industry March 25- 26 Well Spring Retirement Community, Greensboro Contact Carol Owens at ( 336) 545- 5385 or cowens@ well- spring. org. 31st N. C. Mine Safety and Health Conference April 9- 10 Concord Contact William Gerringer at ( 919) 807- 2790 or William. Gerringer@ nclabor. com. 10- Hour General Industry April 16- 17 Research Triangle Park Contact Richard Pereira at ( 336) 215- 9844 or Richard. Pereira@ grainger. com. Western Carolina Safety School Sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers, Western Carolina Chapter April 3 Hickory Contact Gary Barger at ( 828) 302- 3788. Eastern Carolina Safety and Health School April 10- 11 Atlantic Beach Contact John Hodge at ( 252) 672- 7329. www. ecshs. com Charlotte Safety and Health School April 24- 25 Charlotte Contact Russell McCue at ( 704) 665- 4341. www. charlottesafetyschool. com |
OCLC number | 51989157 |