health and safety
NC State officials say troubled chemistry building has been found safe
After a series of tests at N.C. State’s Dabney Hall, home to the Chemistry Department, the school’s Environmental Health and Safety office is saying concerns expressed by staff, faculty and students about air quality are overblown. But chemistry and safety experts in the department say the methodology of the tests was faulty and still show concerning levels of chemical compounds in areas where they shouldn’t appear — including offices where no chemicals are used or stored.
PW exclusive: NC State faculty, safety officer and graduate students sound alarm over potentially harmful air contamination in chemistry building
Students reported headaches, nausea, vomiting, but say their concerns about poor ventilation were dismissed On the morning of Oct. 7, NC State University chemistry professor Jim Martin arrived at Dabney Hall carrying boxes to pack up his office in Room 822A. In less than 10 minutes, an air sensor gave him some disturbing results.
“Must read” news story details NC Labor commissioner’s kid gloves treatment of health and safety violations
If you have a subscription to Raleigh’s News & Observer or the Charlotte Observer (or know someone who does), be sure to check out this morning’s big business section report on North Carolina’s longtime Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry entitled “After workers die, North Carolina shields many employers from biggest penalties.” After providing the details […]
GAO finds hazardous conditions in poultry, meatpacking continue
The General Accounting Office (GAO) publicly released a report yesterday on workplace health and safety conditions in the poultry industry. While noting a decline in injury and illness rates from 2004 to 2013, the report highlights the problem of underreporting and inadequate data collection. The GAO report includes 3 recommendations for Executive Action: Recommendation: To […]
Advocates for workplace health and safety to observe Worker Memorial Day today
Today is Worker Memorial Day, a day to honor workers who have died on the job. The recent construction accidents in Raleigh are stark reminders of why this day matters. Worker advocates will gather at 10:30 at 7 W. Lenoir Street in Raleigh, the site where 3 workers died, and will walk to the NC […]
Close your eyes and maybe nothing bad will happen
It’s a brave new world in North Carolina, where worker fatalities don’t count unless the NC Department of Labor actually investigates them. The News and Observer’s piece yesterday documented another instance of NCDOL’s practice of distancing itself from addressing critical issues facing workers in our state. Last fall, Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry refused comment on […]