CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Matt Mead said he will implement recommendations and continue to focus on better methods to improve safety for workers across the state. The recommendations came from the State Occupational Epidemiologist and contain suggestions on how to continue to make headway on reducing workplace injuries and fatalities.
“I believe that we must find ways to get workers in Wyoming home safely at the end of the day,” Governor Mead said. “These recommendations are a first step on the path to making every workplace safer. They do not provide a solution but show that some systemic changes need to be made. They also indicate we still have work to do to further evaluate and make progress in workplace safety.”
The recommendations note the need to address the culture of workplace safety, the need for better collaboration and communication, and the need for a workable data collection system.
Governor Mead thanked the Wyoming Oil and Gas Industry Safety Alliance for their continuing efforts to improve the culture of safety. To address the problem of data collection, Governor Mead is moving the Occupational Epidemiologist position to the Department of Workforce Services. This means the position will be located with the Wyoming OSHA and with others analyzing workplace data. The move will overcome some of the regulatory barriers to accessing data. “These are steps toward improving collaboration and communication,” Governor Mead said. “Over the last year we learned that access to timely data is a barrier to adequate analysis and this must be addressed.”
The Occupational Epidemiologist position was created over a year ago to produce recommendations. Dr. Timothy Ryan completed the task and provided this report. After completing the job, he has moved on to a position in the private sector.
“I am committed to this effort and want the position to continue with the objective of reducing workplace fatalities and injuries. I have recommended establishing this position within the Department of Workforce Services and I am charging the Department with improving collaboration between the State and private businesses.”
Source: WY Governor’s Office