State Plan · NC OSH

North Carolina Safety Training and OSHA Tailgate Talks

North Carolina runs its own State Plan, NC OSH, for private employers and state and local government. Enforcement records show 12,134 inspections at private worksites in North Carolina opened from October 2020 to September 2026, with 21,732 citations.

Private employers
NC OSH
State Plan
State and local government
NC OSH
Same State Plan
Private-sector inspections
12,134
Oct 2020 – September 2026
Hazard ranking
National + North Carolina data
Built from 525,000+ OSHA citations nationwide

Which safety rules apply in North Carolina

North Carolina runs its own OSHA-approved State Plan, NC OSH, under the North Carolina Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Division. It covers private employers and state and local government in North Carolina.

NC OSH enforces the federal OSHA standards plus a set of its own state standards.

Some work stays under federal OSHA even inside a State Plan state: maritime work (shipyards, marine terminals, longshoring), most federal enclaves and military bases, tribal land and U.S. Postal Service operations.

What gets cited in North Carolina, and what hurts people

Counts from U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement records: inspections at private worksites in North Carolina opened from October 2020 to September 2026. Rankings and schedule data as of September 27, 2026.

The hazard cited most at private worksites in North Carolina is Fall protection & working at heights: 19% of the citations grouped by hazard, against 22% across federal OSHA states. Among the others, the hazard that stands out most is Electrical safety: 8% here, 1.4 times its share across federal OSHA states. The industry that stands out most is Healthcare: 4% of North Carolina’s citations, 1.5 times its share across all states.

Hazards cited most at private worksites in North Carolina

  1. Fall protection & working at heights3,890 citations
  2. Personal protective equipment2,251 citations
  3. Electrical safety1,560 citations
  4. Hazard Communication (GHS labels & SDS)1,537 citations
  5. Ladder safety1,464 citations
  6. Machine guarding1,227 citations

93% of the 21,732 citations are under a standard the ranking can group by hazard.

Where North Carolina’s citations fall, by industry

  1. Construction42% · about 7,804 · 1.2×
  2. Manufacturing17% · about 3,119
  3. Residential & Commercial Services14% · about 2,650
  4. Warehousing & Distribution4% · about 713
  5. Auto & Vehicle Services4% · about 710
  6. Healthcare4% · about 671 · 1.5×

By industry code; a code that fits two industries is split evenly. “×”: share here against the share across all states.

How the schedule ranks trades for North Carolina

North Carolina’s schedule combines two sources. A trade is ranked on North Carolina’s own citations once North Carolina has 150 or more for it since October 2020; 13 trades qualify today, which hold 68% of North Carolina’s citations by industry code. Every other trade uses the national pattern, built from 525,000+ OSHA citations nationwide: where a state’s own sample is small, the national pattern is the most reliable data available. North Carolina’s own counts are shown alongside (119 trades with a smaller North Carolina sample, 93 with some citations, 37 with none yet).

Trades with the most citations in North Carolina

The most-cited trades in North Carolina’s plan data, one per industry, with the hazards the app schedules for each. Trades whose industry code mostly belongs to another trade are left out.

Construction

Roofing

The Construction trade with the most North Carolina citations in the plan data: 2,582 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses North Carolina's own ranking (2,582 citations and about 12 deaths since October 2020). The national ranking is shown alongside.

North Carolina dataDrives the schedule

2,582 citations, about 12 deaths since October 2020

  1. 1Fall protection & working at heights · 1,288 citations, about 8 deaths
  2. 2Personal protective equipment · 538 citations
  3. 3Ladder safety · 440 citations, about 1 death

Nationwide

66,196 citations, about 315 deaths, about 100 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Fall protection & working at heights · 35,450 citations, about 237 deaths
  2. 2Ladder safety · 11,636 citations, about 21 deaths
  3. 3Personal protective equipment · 8,583 citations

Auto & Vehicle Services

Body Shop & Collision Repair

The Auto & Vehicle Services trade with the most North Carolina citations in the plan data: 416 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses North Carolina's own ranking (416 citations since October 2020). The national ranking is shown alongside.

North Carolina dataDrives the schedule

416 citations since October 2020

  1. 1Respiratory protection · 142 citations
  2. 2Electrical safety · 65 citations
  3. 3Flammables, welding & hot work · 26 citations

Nationwide

3,319 citations, about 8 deaths, about 4 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Respiratory protection · 1,284 citations
  2. 2Struck-by & falling objects · 0 citations, about 2 deaths
  3. 3Caught-in & caught-between · 0 citations, about 2 deaths

Manufacturing

Wood Products & Furniture

The Manufacturing trade with the most North Carolina citations in the plan data: 396 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses North Carolina's own ranking (about 396 citations and about 3 deaths since October 2020). The national ranking is shown alongside.

North Carolina dataDrives the schedule

396 citations, about 3 deaths since October 2020

  1. 1Machine guarding · 119 citations, about 1 death
  2. 2Lockout/tagout (hazardous energy) · 63 citations
  3. 3Electrical safety · 44 citations

Nationwide

5,124 citations, about 33 deaths, about 55 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Machine guarding · 943 citations, about 5 deaths
  2. 2Lockout/tagout (hazardous energy) · 636 citations, about 1 death
  3. 3Caught-in & caught-between · 0 citations, about 6 deaths

Mining & Quarrying

Stone Cutting & Processing

The Mining & Quarrying trade with the most North Carolina citations in the plan data: 332 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses North Carolina's own ranking (332 citations and about 1 death since October 2020). The national ranking is shown alongside.

North Carolina dataDrives the schedule

332 citations, about 1 death since October 2020

  1. 1Silica dust · 95 citations
  2. 2Respiratory protection · 49 citations
  3. 3Forklifts & powered industrial trucks · 28 citations

Nationwide

5,890 citations, about 19 deaths, about 5 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Silica dust · 2,081 citations
  2. 2Struck-by & falling objects · 0 citations, about 8 deaths
  3. 3Respiratory protection · 1,153 citations

How My Safety Solution works in North Carolina

  • When you set up your company, you pick North Carolina. The app then applies NC OSH and builds your tailgate talk schedule from the ranking built from North Carolina’s own citations where your trade has 150 or more there, and the national pattern otherwise.
  • Each talk references the regulations it’s built on, from Cal/OSHA (Title 8) and federal OSHA (29 CFR). Title 8 applies only in California.
  • Talks don’t cite North Carolina’s own state rules, so check those with NC OSH for your worksites.
  • With no federal or state standard for them, heat illness prevention (May 1 – Sep 30), wildfire smoke protection (Jul 1 – Oct 31) and cold & wet weather work (Nov 1 – Feb 28) are placed in season for outdoor trades as practice guidance; HazCom, emergency action and injury reporting, once a year.
  • Keep your OSHA 300 log, 300A summary and 301 incident reports in the app, built around 29 CFR 1904. Check NC OSH’s own recordkeeping rules for anything it adds. Guidance, not legal advice.
  • Help with a written program or a NC OSH citation: consulting, as advice and guidance, requested from your account. Our team’s credentials include CHST, OSHA 500, OSHA 10 & 30.

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