Bold claim: North Carolina’s warehouses and factories are now the leading stage for deadly on-the-job accidents, and the shift is pushing regulators to act fast. But here’s where it gets controversial: the rapid expansion of logistics and advanced manufacturing may be outpacing safety practices, creating a perfect storm for serious injuries and deaths.
North Carolina’s labor authorities are responding to a troubling rise in severe struck-by incidents and fatalities with a new enforcement and outreach push. As logistics hubs grow and production corridors expand, the typical hazards—forklifts, heavy boxes, falling materials, and crowded aisles—pose greater risk to workers in warehouses and plants.
Labor Commissioner Luke Farley announced a plan for focused education, updated compliance guidelines, and targeted consultations aimed at reducing workplace hazards. After an initial period of outreach, inspectors will begin more frequent state-wide inspections and levy penalties on businesses that fail to implement safer practices.
“Ideally, we’re raising awareness,” Farley told WRAL. “But after that, it’s time for us to step in and bring those numbers down—through citations and penalties that accompany enforcement.”
The commissioner unveiled the initiative during a visit to an ABB warehouse in Mebane. ABB highlighted a $700,000 investment to reconfigure storage and retrieval systems, aiming to improve safety and efficiency. Key changes include: narrowed aisles that bring more materials closer to workstations, floor-mounted magnets to guide forklifts and prevent shelf collisions, and shelves that can hold two tons each. Forklifts now come with automated braking and real-time safety alerts via software.
Salvador Sanchez, an ABB manager, emphasized that the redesign boosted both capacity and safety: “This is not just a better layout. This is a safer and smarter way to manage our warehouse.”
North Carolina’s economy has increasingly leaned on warehousing and advanced manufacturing, with large facilities like Amazon’s Garner hub handling vast daily volumes and a broad array of logistics services supporting retailers and manufacturers.
Even as overall workplace fatalities have been trending downward in the state, Farley notes a disturbing rise in fatalities from being struck by forklifts or by falling equipment. These incidents now account for roughly half of the state’s workplace deaths, alongside a significant share of non-fatal injuries.
“What lies behind these numbers is a family forever changed—a mother, a father, a son, a daughter—someone who won’t come home that day. And these incidents are preventable,” Farley said.
State data show a troubling rise: 17 such deaths in fiscal year 2023, 20 in 2024, and 25 in 2025—an almost 50% increase over two years.
Two consecutive years of rising fatalities convinced Farley and his team that this was not a fleeting anomaly but a dangerous trend demanding action. The new initiative aims to curb these deaths and protect workers by pairing education with stronger enforcement.
What do you think about this approach? Do you believe stricter enforcement will meaningfully reduce injuries, or should the focus be on broader changes to supply chains and worker training? Share your thoughts in the comments.
