A study from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services shows that while workplace fatalities have decreased overall, there has not been a significant trend in workplace deaths for almost 25 years.   

State Occupational Epidemiologist Meredith Towle said in 2014 nine oil and gas workers died on the job, while four died in 2015. She suspects that there is a simple reason for that decrease.

“We often will see a decrease in the number of fatal injuries where there is a decline in employment in the industry. And you particularly see that correlation with high risk industries such as oil and gas.”

Towle said one new area of concern is in agriculture where deaths have been slowly increasing due to incidents with equipment, among other things. 

“ATV crashes, and also encounter with large animals, whether it’s being crushed between an animal and a fence or thrown from a horse.”

Towle added that virtually every Wyoming industry needs to improve its worker safety. She hopes the study will provide guidance.