Recently, a federal agency started to gather information on why Wyoming has the highest workplace fatality rate in the nation.
The national rate in 2008 was 3.6 fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. The rate in Wyoming was 17.1 – more than 4.5 times the national rate.
In a preliminary report this summer, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported that there were 210 workplace fatalities in Wyoming from 2003 to 2007. Of those, 136 were in transportation. More than half of those victims didn’t wear seatbelts.
In other words, more than 60 lives could have been saved if workers buckled up before getting behind the wheel.
Some companies we know perform spot checks of their employees who drive as part of their jobs to see if they’re wearing their seatbelts. If they’re not, the employees face discipline, up to firing after multiple infractions.
How does your company enforce safety rules for employees who are away from direct supervision because they’re driving? Let us know in the Comments section below.
