Parents of Wolfspeed worker killed on job wait for answers they may not want to learn
Part of Patricia Farrell doesn’t want to learn the details, the narrative account from the state safety investigator describing how Vincent Farrell, her son, was fatally electrocuted at work in October.
Patricia and her husband, Bryant Farrell, of Durham have heard snippets from Vince’s coworkers at Wolfspeed about what may have occurred that day at the company’s facility in Research Triangle Park. None of it, obviously, is pleasant.
But part of Patricia wants to know — perhaps needs to know.
“If it wasn’t done right, I would like to know that they don’t do the same thing again,” she said of the safety conditions at the facility.
Here’s what’s clear: On Oct. 13, Vince Farrell, a 45-year-old facilities electrician, father, widower and Durham native who graduated from Southern High School, died by electrocution during his shift at Wolfspeed, a successful Durham-based producer of semiconductors with an expanding presence in the region. Vince had worked at the company since 2013.
It’s been more than 100 days since Vince’s death and the wait for answers, like so much of this ordeal, has been difficult for the Farrells.
Patricia has spoken to a grief counselor. Bryant said he thinks about their only child every day.
“It’s still hard to fathom,” he said. “He comes up, what you and him did together, and how close he was to family, and to his church, and to his friends. I don’t think he ever met a stranger.”
The day of the accident, Patricia was driving with Vince’s only child, Bradley, when a detective called to communicate the tragedy. Both grandmother and grandson started crying. Their family had already experienced the death of Bradley’s mother, Jennifer, two years before. The grandparents later arranged for Bradley, who is 13, to live with his godparents, who are now his legal guardians, in Cary.
Within a few days of the accident, Patricia and Bryant said, someone from Wolfspeed’s human resources department returned Vince’s Toyota SUV, which had been parked at the company facility. They took in their son’s dog, a chow mix named Rowdy.
On Oct. 20, a week after the accident, the Farrells received a letter from North Carolina Department of Labor Secretary Josh Dobson expressing his condolences.
“My heart breaks every time I learn of a man or woman who lost their life at work,” Dobson wrote. “Each one of these people was a deeply valued and important member of their family, workplace, and community. I know that your loved one was no different, leaving a void in your family that cannot be replaced.”
Along with Dobson’s letter came a second letter from the state safety compliance officer assigned to investigate the accident. The officer, Horace Dozier Jr., provided Bryant and Patricia with his phone number and the number for NCDOL’s next-of kin ombudsman. North Carolina is one of 22 states with its own “state plan” for occupational health and safety, and the next-of kin ombudsman duties are a part of the state plan coordinator’s role.
Patricia has since reached out to the department for updates on the investigation and was told it could be months before initial findings are released.
Shortage of workplace inspectors in NC
The day after Vincent Farrell died, the NCDOL opened an investigation into the accident, which it is required to do immediately following workplace incidents involving fatalities or catastrophes, known within the occupational safety industry as FAT/CATs.
According to the department’s field operations manual, the state aims to release initial findings on FAT/CAT accidents within 90 days. But due to several factors, including the complexity of these incidents and short staffing, NCDOL says most fatality investigations are released after three to six months.
“Unfortunately, there are times when we have multiple fatality inspections going on at the same time,” said Jennifer Haigwood, director of the NCDOL’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Division. “And just like every other state agency, we are really short staffed right now.”
According to the state, OSH right now has 30 vacancies for its 95 safety and health compliance officer positions. Haigwood noted many potential state inspectors can find higher salaries working occupational safety roles in the private sector.
“I think it’s something across all state agencies,” she said. “Everyone is competing (for staff).”
‘That bothers me in a way I try not to think about’
During investigations, NCDOL inspectors work to determine accident causes and whether employers violated any health and safety standards. Within the past 10 years, for example, Wolfspeed — which operated by the name Cree until October 2021 — has been cited for 17 workplace violations from four separate state inspections, the most recent in 2015.
Asked if the company has made any changes to its procedures or safety measures in the wake of Vincent Farrell’s accident, Wolfspeed told The News & Observer it is “unable to share specific information during this active investigation. We will continue to work closely with OSH as employee health and safety is a top priority for the company.”
In addition to releasing potential citations, state workplace inspectors compile case files that contain detailed narrative descriptions of what they believe transpired around accidents. These narratives remain sealed until the investigations have concluded, which can take longer if employers don’t accept the state’s initial findings.
In North Carolina, employers have the opportunity to either formally appeal their citations or request informal conferences with the state. From these informal conferences, OSH may change its citation ruling or reach a settlement agreement with the company. In fiscal year 2021, the state says, around half of its 1,192 inspections for serious, willful or repeat violations were either appealed or went to an informal conference.
So, depending on whether the state cites Wolfspeed for the Oct. 13 accident — and how Wolfspeed responds — it could more time before Patricia and Bryant Farrell get answers to the questions they never wanted to ask. How long did it take coworkers to find Vince? Was anyone with him? What exactly went wrong?
“That bothers me in a way I try not to think about,” Patricia said.
According to his mother, Vince was feeling stressed by his workload in the period before the accident, though she said her son never explicitly brought up safety concerns.
“He called me every day,” Patricia said. “At times, he’d be so distraught about not having enough help at work, and being pushed, pushed, pushed.”
The Farrells still have time to determine how much they want to learn. For now, they spend their days with Bradley, who Bryant calls “monk.” Bradley, they say, is doing well given the recent loss of his parents.
Around their living room in South Durham, there’s hardly a photo that doesn’t feature either Vince, Bradley, Jennifer, or all three. He was their only son, she their only daughter-in-law, and Bradley is their only grandchild.
This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.
This story was originally published February 3, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
