Wyoming has hired seven new Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety consultants to improve workplace safety in the state.
Workplace safety has been a real problem in Wyoming. The state ranked among the top two in the nation in workplace fatalities in eight of the last nine years.
John Ysebaert of Workforce Services will oversee the program. He says that, instead of doling out fines for workplace safety violations, the OSHA consultants willhelp small businesses to develop and comply with safety requirements on a voluntary basis.
“Most employers have a great interest in keeping their workers safe. And, yes, there are some bad actors, but they are few in number,” Ysebaert says.
He says the consultants have been hired from across the country. They’ll train for six months before heading to their posts in Casper, Cody, Lander, Gillette, Evanston and Rock Springs.