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High Turnover Continues For Wyoming's Occupational Epidemiologists

After just two years on the job, Wyoming’s occupational epidemiologist is leaving. Mack Sewell is the second person to hold the position. His predecessor, Timothy Ryan, quit amid frustration over what he saw as Wyoming’s lack of desire to improve workplace safety. Sewell, on the other hand, is retiring.

The occupational epidemiologist position was created to address Wyoming’s high rate of workplace injuries and fatalities. Sewell says the state has taken steps in the right direction, but that it’s hard to draw any definitive conclusions from the limited amount of data available.

“Our fatality numbers dropped in ‘13, but the numbers that we’re seeing for ‘14 are trending back upward again, so it’s a bit of a concern,” he said.

Sewell issued two annual reports during his tenure. He says deaths on the road remain a major area of concern in the state and that Wyoming should reconsider implementing a primary seatbelt law, where people can be pulled over and ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt.

“There just isn’t a week go by that I don’t see a report come by where someone was in a crash, rolled their vehicle and were totally ejected,” he said.

Sewell had also encouraged the formation of an agricultural safety alliance and says he hopes his successor will continue that work.

His replacement is Meredith Towle, an epidemiologist who currently works for the Colorado Department of Health.

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