Changes To Workers’s Compensation and Union Laws Positive For North Carolina

The new Obama administration is expected to change OSHA and other workplace safety laws making it more worker-friendly move that many unions and workers deserve. The potential changes would come at a time when workplace deaths in North Carolina are rising. According to figures released by the state Department of Labor last week, there were 59 work-related deaths in 2008, compared to 45 the previous year.

The changes to OSHA will mean more regulation and larger fines for companies providing hazardous conditions or trying to under-report or hide workplace injuries. The Charlotte Observer reported that inspections to poultry plants, an industry exposed to repetitive motion injuries, have dropped to their lowest levels in fifteen years. They further reported that OSHA staff has declined by 25% since 1980. New York times reported a recent crane collapse in New York that killed 6 workers, investigators found that the crew used only half the number of protective nylon strings that were needed to hold up a steel brace that connected the crane to the tower. All of the above statistics present a scary picture about workplace safety.

David Vtipil, co-founder of the leading North Carolina Workplace Safety Law Practise at http://www.AttorneysNC.com , commented - “Workplace safety took a backseat under the Bush administration. There were hardly any new laws written to protect workers from the new risks that surface on a regular basis at the workplace. The Obama administration, under Hilda Solis, promises to provide better protection to workers. Workers and employers everywhere should take a note of these changes.”

Federal OSHA governs workplace safety in about half of the states in the US, whereas the states take care of that job in the other half – including North Carolina. David points out “We are unsure what the extent of the changes will be, considering that North Carolina is not directly governed by Fedreal OSHA, but we are confident that it will be positive. For companies as well as individuals, you need people that care about our state and are knowledgeable about the latest laws and strategies to get the compensation you deserve.” For more information about workplace safety rules including industrial accidents and workers’ compensation FAQ’s, check out their site at http://attorneysnc.com/industrial_accidents.html.

Contact Information

David Vtipil

Attorney

Younce & Vtipil LLC

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