Wyoming 2nd in nation in deaths on the job

Wyoming ranks second in the nation both in the rate of workplace fatalities and the rate of older workers dying on the job, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal statistics.

In 2015, the fatal accident rate for workers in Wyoming was 11.51 per 100,000 workers. The rate was 18.23 per 100,000 workers ages 55 and older.

Only North Dakota had higher rates in both categories.

Thirteen of 34 accidental work deaths in Wyoming in 2015 involved workers ages 55 and older, or 38 percent, just above the national average of 35 percent.

The rate of worker deaths in Wyoming has improved. In 2007, the overall rate was as high as 17.21 deaths per 100,000 workers. Among older workers, the rate was as high as 23.04 deaths per 100,000 in 2006.