No matter your line of work, the unfortunate reality is that there's always the risk of an accident while you're on the clock. But while some occupations might carry more danger than others, where you live could also affect your chances of something terrible happening at your workplace—including those with fatal consequences. Now, new data has determined which state is the most dangerous to work in.
The latest research comes from business services company Venture Smarter, which used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate the average number of fatal work injuries reported per 100,000 workers. Besides determining the rankings, the results also calculated how much the average had increased or decreased from the previous year to highlight any possible trends. Overall, the worst offender was found to have a 155 percent higher rate of workplace deaths than the national average.
"It's clear that some employees are being subjected to unsafe working conditions or are operating in a volatile environment that increases the risk of a fatal injury," a spokesperson for Venture Smarter said of the findings. "It's essential that workers are conscious of potential hazards and flag any concerns to their manager, but it's also key that employers ensure the correct workplace training has been provided and completed."
So, which places were the riskiest for employees? Read on to see what's the most dangerous state to work in, according to new research from Venture Smarter.
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10 | Indiana
Shutterstock / Sean Pavone- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 5.2
- Change from previous year: Decreased by 4 percent
Indiana managed to crack the top 10 with its fatal workplace injury rate of 5.2 per 100,000 workers. However, this was still a slight drop from the previous calendar year.
9 | Missouri
TriggerPhoto / iStock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 5.4
- Change from previous year: Increased by 35 percent
Fatal workplace accidents jumped by more than a third from last year in Missouri. This pushed the state's annual deaths per capita rate to 5.4 and placed it ninth overall in the national rankings.
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8 | Alabama
iStock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 5.5
- Change from previous year: Increased by 31 percent
Alabama unfortunately saw workplace deaths increase by nearly a third year-over-year. According to data, this pushed the states' annual fatality average to 5.5.
7 | Arkansas
Shutterstock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 5.8
- Change from previous year: Increased by 7 percent
The study found there was a 7 percent increase in fatal workplace accidents from the previous calendar year. This brought the annual average per 100,000 workers to 5.8 overall.
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6 | New Mexico
iStock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 6.2
- Change from previous year: Increased by 35 percent
New Mexico nearly tied for fifth place nationally with its annual fatal workplace accident average of 6.2 percent. Unfortunately, this comes after a 35 percent increase from the previous year.
5 | Alaska
Shutterstock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 6.2
- Change from previous year: Decreased by 42 percent
With a yearly fatality average of 6.2 per 100,000 workers, Alaska just barely surpassed New Mexico before results were rounded. However, it can also claim to have the most significant drop from the previous year of any state in the top 10, with a 42 percent decrease.
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4 | Louisiana
Shutterstock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 7.7
- Change from previous year: Increased by 31 percent
The research found that Louisiana saw a 31 percent increase in deaths from the previous year. This resulted in an annual workplace fatality average of 7.7 per 100,000 workers.
3 | Montana
miroslav_1 / iStock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 8.0
- Change from previous year: Increased by 33 percent
Montana saw one of the biggest jumps in workplace fatalities in the top 10, increasing by a third year-over-year. This pushed its annual worker fatality average per capita to an even 8.0.
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2 | North Dakota
Shutterstock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 9.0
- Change from previous year: Increased by 22 percent
North Dakota ranks second highest on the list, with an annual worker fatality average of 9.0 that's a full point higher than Montana's. Overall, this represented an increase of 22 percent compared to the previous year.
1 | Wyoming
WitGorski/Shutterstock- Annual fatalities per 100,000 workers: 10.4
- Change from previous year: Decreased by 20 percent
Wyoming takes the unenviable top spot as the most dangerous state to work in, according to the Venture Smarter study. Its annual average fatality rate of 10.4 per 100,000 workers makes it 155 percent higher than the national average of 4.078.
However, it's not all bad news: The state also posted an overall decrease in workplace deaths of 20 percent compared to the year prior.
