North Dakota No. 1 in worker death rate

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: USA Today, AFL-CIO

9:23 a.m. EDT May 10, 2013

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota has the highest rate of worker deaths in the nation, due in large part to the oil boom in the western part of the state in recent years, according to a report from the AFL-CIO.

There were 44 worker deaths in North Dakota in 2011 -- latest statistics available -- for a rate of 12.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. That was well above the national rate of 3.5 deaths per 100,000 workers, the report said.
....

The lowest worker death rate was in New Hampshire, with 1.2 fatalities per 100,000 workers, the report says.

Half of North Dakota's worker fatalities since 2010 have been in oil and gas occupations, according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. North Dakota last year passed Alaska to become the nation's second-leading oil producer.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/05/10/north-dakota-worker-deaths/2149691/

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Wyoming finally loses the crown.

[Cirque du So-What]

1. A dubious distinction, to be sure

No amount of government regulation will protect workers' health and safety when agencies are effectively de-fanged.

[mountain grammy]

2. Woo hoo, North Dakota is number 1! USA, USA!!

Don't you worry a thing about those dead workers. Who cares if it's someone's child or parent, there are plenty more waiting to take those jobs. And when it's all over, North Dakota will be a toxic wasteland. What's not to love here, it's right wing utopia!

[bluedigger]

3. Small sample sizes make stats like this variable.

Not that most extractive industries aren't more dangerous.

[snooper2]

4. So does this mean people don't work very hard in New Hampshire?

[Sunlei]

5. yes, that night sky lights picture showed the oil fields in low pop ND- bright like New York city.

wonder how many injuries? "flood of inexperienced workers"..

So is this oil drilling mania hiring Americans or bringing in foreign visa cheap slave labor?

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. Lots of American workers are finding jobs in the Bakken field.

I don't know about foreign ones.

Now, if they can just find someplace to live around Williston. Housing is at a ridiculous premium.

[nineteen50]

6. population

of North Dakota 699,628 population San Jose CA. 945,942.

[xtraxritical]

7. How many surrounding land owners lives are in jeopardy from polluted water & earthquakes?

[Fumesucker]

8. They don't call them "roughnecks" for nothing n/t

[sofa king]

9. Wow. That's deadlier than ND's gun fatality rate in '09.

http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/firearms-death-rate-per-100000/

Firearms deaths in 2009 for North Dakota was 9.2/100K, compared to 12.4/100K for workers in North Dakota in 2011. Traffic fatalities per 100K were 1.7 in '09.

I think that might make "work" the number-one non-illness killer in North Dakota. How sad is that?

[Sancho]

11. I figured they froze their butts off....

my brother lives in Fargo...I won't even visit him.

[secondvariety]

12. Are many

of the oil workers Union? I'm guessing no.