Wyoming tops US workers' danger ranking, study finds

Injury Attorney of Dallas has published a study ranking Wyoming as the most dangerous US state for workers. On the same measure, Colourado and Rhode Island were ranked the safest.

The study examined fatal workplace injuries and non-fatal injuries and illnesses per 100,000 employees across all 50 states, then combined the figures into a Workplace Incident Risk Index scored from 1 to 99. Higher scores indicate states where workplace incidents occur more often after adjusting for population differences.

Wyoming topped the list with a risk index score of 99. The state recorded 15 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers and 48,138 non-fatal injuries and illnesses per 100,000, giving it the highest fatal injury rate in the country.

In Wyoming, transportation and utilities and agriculture were identified as the most dangerous industries. Transportation and utilities are both a major employer and a particularly hazardous sector in the state.

Alaska ranked second with a risk index of 78. It recorded nine fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers and 55,312 non-fatal injuries and illnesses per 100,000, placing it among the states with the highest rates of workplace incidents requiring medical care.

Transportation and utilities were also identified as the riskiest industries in Alaska, where around 18 fatal accidents were recorded in that sector.

West Virginia came third with a risk index score of 74. The state reported eight fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers and 55,366 non-fatal injuries and illnesses per 100,000.

Mining stood out in West Virginia as a particularly dangerous sector, reflecting its importance to the state's labour market. Transportation was also listed among the three riskiest fields, with a death rate of more than 20.

Maine placed fourth with a risk index of 71, but had the highest non-fatal injury and illness rate in the country at 70,295 per 100,000 workers. Its fatal injury rate was four per 100,000 workers.

The figures suggest a different pattern in Maine than in the states above it, with injuries and illnesses occurring far more often than deaths. Construction was identified as the most hazardous industry there, with nearly 16 fatalities each year.

Vermont completed the top five with a risk index score of 70. It recorded five fatal injuries per 100,000 workers and 65,181 non-fatal injuries and illnesses per 100,000, the second-highest non-fatal rate after Maine.

The rest of the top 10 were Iowa, Montana, Indiana, Arkansas and Wisconsin. Their risk index scores ranged from 69 for Iowa to 55 for Wisconsin.

Safest states

At the other end of the ranking, Colourado and Rhode Island were identified as the safest states for workers because they reported the lowest workplace injury rates. The summary did not include their full scores, but said both had the lowest rate of workplace injuries among the states reviewed.

More than 5,000 workers die on the job each year in the US, according to the study. It used rates per 100,000 workers rather than raw totals to compare the relative level of danger across states with very different working-age populations.

The underlying table listed Wyoming with a working-age population of 295,000, Alaska with 337,000 and West Virginia with 713,000. Among larger labour markets in the top 10, Indiana had a working-age population of 3.2 million and Wisconsin had 3 million.

Industry risks

The rankings point to recurring risks in transport-linked work, heavy industry and construction. Transportation and utilities featured prominently in Wyoming, Alaska and West Virginia, while mining was highlighted in West Virginia and construction in Maine.

Aaron Herbert of Injury Attorney of Dallas commented on the findings.

"Manufacturing, transportation and construction are some of the most dangerous fields to work in, and the numbers prove it. If you're employed in these sectors, make sure you have solid insurance coverage. And it's not just about you: your family will need to cover medical bills while you're unable to work. As a lawyer, I also see many injured workers settle for less than they deserve from insurers. My advice is to get a free consultation with a lawyer before accepting any settlement. It can make a real difference in what you receive," said Herbert.