On-the-job deaths in Wyoming down nearly 12% in 2015

Cheyenne, WY – Thirty job-related deaths occurred in Wyoming in 2015, down nearly 12 percent from the 34 deaths recorded the previous year, according to a recent report from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.

Leading the decrease in fatalities was the oil and gas extraction industry, which experienced four deaths in 2015 compared with nine the year before, the report states.

However, increases in deaths occurred in agriculture (seven in 2015 from four in 2014), construction (four in 2015 from three in 2014) and transportation (seven in 2015 from six in 2014), according to the report.

Other findings from the report:

• Most of the deaths in construction were the result of a fall from height.
• Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among oil and gas workers.
• The top causes of deaths in agriculture industry were contact with an object or equipment and transportation-related incidents.

“Building awareness around the common themes present in these fatal incidents is an essential step towards prevention,” Department of Workforce Services State Occupational Epidemiologist Meredith Towle said in a press release.