A new report from the NC Justice Center has found 48% increase in workplace deaths in North Carolina over the last decade. The report also alleges that the North Carolina Department of Labor is inadequately investigating workplace deaths, and failing to appropriately punish companies that break state laws regarding worker safety.The North Carolina Department of Labor has a history of having a lower average penalty cost than the national average. However, the North Carolina Labor commissioner, Cherie Berry, has been vocal about her stance that the Department of Labor is less of a regulatory agency, and more of collaborative agency working with employers to ensure workplace safety.
See "Workplace Deaths on the Rise in North Carolina", Thomasi McDonald, Indy Week , January 22, 2020