The North Carolina Department of Labor reported yesterday that the number of workplace deaths in the state fell drastically in 2009. The reduction reaches almost 40% - from almost 60 deaths in 2008 to only 34 in 2009. Workplace deaths in manufacturing declined marginally, while construction fatalities fell in both rate and number. Officials feared that the construction decline in number of fatalities only reflected the recent decline in construction jobs, but when the rate of decline was examined, it was found that deaths per 100,000 in the construction industry fell from 9 to less than 7 in the past three years. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry says she is very happy with the decline, but hopes to continue working towards the only acceptable number of fatalities - zero.
See "Number of NC workplace deaths falls 40%", Bizjounals.com, January 26, 2010