RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina had the highest number of workplace deaths in a decade in 2020, according to a new report which also includes the number of people who've died from COVID-19.
The North Carolina Department of Labor released its statistics on workplace deaths Friday. The report reveals 65 people died last year across the state, according to NCDOL officials. Those numbers also include 13 deaths from the Triad area.
The state for the first time is reporting COVID-19 related deaths in their report.
26 of those deaths are classified as COVID-19 deaths, 5 of which are from the Triad:
- On May 7 in Caswell County, a worker at the Caswell Correctional Center died of COVID-19. She was 57 years old.
- On December 23 in Davidson County, a worker at Pine Ridge Health & Rehab died of COVID-19. He was 68 years old.
- On October 20 in Guilford County, a worker for the Guilford County Government at the Courthouse died of COVID-19. She was 26 years old.
- On November 19 in Guilford County, a worker for the Guilford County Government Warrant Department died of COVID-19. He was 52 years old.
- On May 29 in Wilkes County, a worker at the Tyson Farms Fresh Products Division plant died of COVID-19. He was 55 years old.
Even without COVID-19, 2020 had the highest number of workplace deaths in North Carolina in ten years, the report said.
The Occupational Safety and Health division tracks work-related deaths across the state to 'pinpoint where fatalities are occurring' and address trends and issues that may appear. 'Struck-by' incidents made up the largest number of work-related deaths in North Carolina last year, the OSH division said
"All of these work-related deaths are difficult to process, no matter the cause,” N.C. labor commissioner Josh Dobson said.
The OHS will create programs attempting to lessen these instances moving forward.
"In 2021, we will continue working toward our core mission by concentrating our education, training and compliance resources on high hazard industries, while also working with employers and employees on best practices for reducing the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace," Dobson continued.
According to the report, 26 fatalities were recorded in the construction industry, the most in the state, according to the OHS. The services industry and manufacturing industry had the next highest number with 22 and 15 deaths, respectively.
Additionally, agriculture, forestry, and fishing had 12 fatalities in 2020, an increase from four in 2019. There were also five fatalities in the transportation and public utility industry, a decrease from nine in 2019, according to the report.
There were no work-related fatalities in 55 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Mecklenburg County led with nine workplace fatalities, followed by Wake County with eight, and Guilford with six, the report said.
White people accounted for 43 of the 65 non-COVID-19 work-related fatalities. Sixty-one of the people who died were men, while four were women, according to the OHS report.
Certain deaths fall outside of the OHS's jurisdiction and are not counted in the total fatalities figures. For example, more than half of 2020's work-related deaths are traffic incidents, but those do not make it into the final tally, the OHS reported.
Of the 65 other deaths, 13 are from the Triad:
- On July 16 in Alamance County, a worker for Aztec Roofing fell from a trash box elevated by a forklift. The man was 34 years old.
- On October 17 in Davidson County, a worker for Rodriguez Construction died when a tree fell on him. He was 50 years old.
- On October 21 in Davidson County, a worker for JEC Tree Service was hit by a tree. He was 30 years old.
- On March 11 in Forsyth County, a worker for Duncan's Home Remodeling & Roofing fell from a ladder. He was 62 years old.
- On August 6 in Forsyth County, a worker for Ansco & Associates was hit by a car. He was 23 years old.
- On June 25 in Guilford County, a worker for The Alderman Company was struck by an "unknown object". He was 34 years old.
- On July 3 in Guilford County, a worker for H&B Stump Removal & Tree Service was struck by a tree trunk. He was 59 years old.
- On September 11 in Guilford County, a worker for Doggett Construction Company fell off a dump truck. He was 66 years old.
- On September 24 in Guilford County, a worker for Davis Trucking Repair was struck by an object under a trailer. He was 47 years old.
- On September 1 in Rockingham County, a worker for Little Dave's Landscape Management was pinned underwater by an overturned mower. He was 64 years old.
- On October 21 in Rockingham County, a worker for William Jonathan Morris fell off a roof. He was 49 years old.
- On October 22 in Surry County, a worker for Bill Tucker Utility Contractors of Mount Airy was hit by a truck. He was 64 years old.
- On February 27 in Wilkes County, a worker for Gardner Glass Products was struck by glass. He was 32 years old.