Letter: Let’s recommit to protecting North Dakotans on the job

As many of us enjoy this Labor Day holiday, we should take a moment to reflect on the workers that have helped North Dakota continue its rapid growth, evidenced by a double-digit increase in the first three months of 2023, which is nearly triple the national growth rate. But amid the state’s economic booms, the safety of our workers remains a concern.

Since October 2022, 28 people in North Dakota have suffered fatal workplace injuries in incidents that investigators later defined as preventable. In many cases, their deaths involved being struck by moving or falling equipment and materials and falls from elevation, the leading cause of construction industry fatalities.

Employers must review their operations and make certain that employees are trained to use equipment safely. They must also ensure that workers establish safe areas around equipment to prevent workers from being struck. Employers must also provide required fall protection systems to people working at heights higher than 6 feet and make sure they use ladders and hoisting materials on job sites safely.

For workers in agriculture, North Dakota’s number one industry, safety is equally important. As farmers prepare to harvest thousands of acres of beans, sunflowers and grains this fall, those working in grain elevators must be protected from bin entry and other agriculture-related hazards. These risks cannot be overlooked, especially since the Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program reported that in 2022 at least 59 workers suffered injuries and 24 others died in confined spaces like bins, elevators and silos, about a 41% increase from 2021. Fatalities and injuries like these are preventable when required safety standards are followed.

Safety standards are also vital for workers in the oil and gas industry in North Dakota, the nation’s fourth largest producer. This highly hazardous industry demands that strict safety protocols are followed to protect workers on the job. To support these efforts, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a long-standing alliance with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, State of North Dakota and Bakken Basin Safety Consortium to promote workplace safety and health.

OSHA recently renewed an alliance with the North Dakota Safety Council to raise awareness and educate employers and workers on specific hazards in the oil and gas, excavation and trenching, construction, grain-handling and warehousing industries.

Through a combination of our enforcement and education efforts and various industry alliances and partnerships, we are working to protect the rights of all workers to a safe and healthy workplace. These efforts are just part of the equation. We also need North Dakota’s employers to make workplace safety and health a core value and ensure OSHA protections are applied equally to every worker so they can end each workday free of harm.