Figures released Tuesday from State Occupational Epidemiologist Dr. C. Mack Sewell show a significant decline in workers dying in accidents on the job in Wyoming last year compared to the year before.

The second annual Epidemiology Report on Occupational Fatalities and Non-fatal Injuries report shows 21 people died in workplace accidents in Wyoming last year. That's down from 31 in 2012.

The report shows that many of Wyoming's workers die in on-the-job traffic accidents. Seven workers died in transportation accidents in 2013, compared to16 in 2012. Deaths in agriculture declined from five in 2012 to three in 2013.

Dr. Sewell said “trends identified in this second annual report reveal the need for a focus on highway safety, increased enforcement and inspection of worksites, employer policies, and most importantly employer/employee partnerships to make workplace safety a way of doing business in the state.”

Dr. Sewell  provided ten recommendations for improving the status of workplace safety in the state including: Establish an agriculture safety alliance, urge all Wyoming employers to mandate seat belt usage for their employees when on duty and         encourage all employers to develop and enforce workplace safety policies.

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