BACKGROUND: According to the U.S. Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), Wyoming consistently claims the worst or second worst occupational fatality rate in the country. In 2012, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services launched an effort to describe fatal occupational injuries sooner and with more detail than the federal CFOI provides in public reports.
METHODS: Using the CDC’s Epi Info TM software, a database was constructed to compile and cross-reference narrative and coded occupational fatality data from multiple sources. Cases occurring during 2012-2015 were included. Case inclusion and classification criteria were similar to federal CFOI definitions.
RESULTS: From 2012-2015, there were 116 occupational fatalities in Wyoming identified by the state tracking system; the federal CFOI identified 132. According to state data, most construction fatalities were attributed to falls from height (46%), while most oil and gas extraction fatalities were due to over-the-road motor vehicle crashes (50%). Leading causes among agriculture workers were equipment or object contact injuries (28.6%), motor vehicle crashes on a farm or ranch (24%), and large animal incidents (24%). For most industries, most deaths occurred among workers age 54 or younger. However, the majority of victims in agriculture (62%) were age 55 or older. Wyoming residents accounted for 86% of deaths in agriculture, but only 30% of deaths in the transportation sector. Natrona County had the highest number of occupational fatalities (18), followed by Campbell (13) and Carbon (10) Counties.
CONCLUSIONS: According to state data, there was considerable variation in fatality causes and victim demographics by industry. Thus, considerably different prevention strategies need to be considered to attain state-wide impact. Due to the small annual number of deaths in Wyoming, this level of detail and knowledge is not attainable through existing CFOI annual reports. Epi Info TM proved invaluable to quickly establish a fatality tracking system and to summarize multiple years of data. While these state fatality data are not directly comparable to CFOI, the two systems do show similar trends in terms of total annual fatality counts, industry distribution, and distribution of fatality causes. These observations help to validate state-monitored occupational fatality data as reliable information. Additionally, more detailed information on the causes and distribution of occupational deaths provided a clearer view of opportunities for targeting resources and engaging industry and other partners into action.