On June 20, the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) announced the launch of a workplace heat illness prevention outreach effort. The department’s “Beat the Heat” campaign is a renewed push to prevent heat illnesses and offers tools and best practices to help both employers and employees end heat stress and heat-related injuries.
Resources offered by the NCDOL include the following:
- A heat safety calculator
- A real-time heat index mobile app
- Hazard alerts and training videos
- Agriculture-specific safety resources, including podcasts and sample safety programs
“Heat illness is preventable,” North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley said in an agency statement. “Whether you’re in the field, on a construction site, or working outdoors in any capacity, the keys to staying safe are simple: rest, water, and shade.”
“This isn’t about new regulations. It’s about common-sense steps and working together to protect the people who provide for their families and power our economy.”
While North Carolina doesn’t have a heat illness prevention standard, other states do, including California, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Minnesota has a standard for cold and hot working environments.
There’s no federal heat illness prevention standard. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a standard last year for heat injury and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work settings and is holding an informal public hearing on the proposal that continues until June 16.
North Carolina announces pay bump for experienced safety inspectors
On June 18, the NCDOL announced a 3% pay increase for eligible compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) who have served in the department for three years or more.
“This raise is about recognizing the experienced professionals who have chosen to build their careers here at the Department of Labor,” Farley said in a statement.
The increase became effective June 1 and will appear in this month’s paychecks for qualified inspectors in the department’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Division.
The NCDOL also announced an increase in starting salaries for newly hired workplace safety inspectors on June 2. Both efforts are part of the department’s plan to improve workplace safety in the state, which includes the following:
- Filling open inspector positions to strengthen enforcement capacity
- Cutting wait times for voluntary safety consultations
- Expanding employer recognition programs that promote and inspire safety excellence
“We want our best inspectors to know they’re valued,” Farley continued.
On June 18. Farley recognized Gastonia, North Carolina, area employers and employees for outstanding workplace safety achievements at an NCDOL annual Safety Awards Banquet. The event, co-hosted with the Gaston Business Association, recognized companies that have demonstrated a strong commitment to preventing injuries and building a culture of safety in the workplace.
To be eligible, businesses must have had no worker fatalities at the award site during the calendar year.
Gold Awards are presented to businesses with a days away, on restricted duty, or job transfer (DART) rate at least 50 percent below the industry average, and Silver Awards are based on days away from work at least 50 percent below the industry average.
“It’s a privilege to recognize businesses that don’t just talk about safety—they lead by example, day in and day out,” Farley said in his keynote remarks.