2023-10-24 23:09:00
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – In 2021, North Dakota reported 34 work-related deaths. Though there are countless states that report far more, North Dakota has been ranked the most dangerous state for workers.
For line worker student Eric Baukol, this job he is training for is in his blood.
“My grandfather worked for Central Power as a substation power electrician. And when I was leaving the service, it was a big question of what I wanted to do next. It was actually my father and my grandfather who was like, ‘Hey, Bismarck State has this lineman course. And there is a lot of similarities between what I did and what they do.’ And it just seemed too perfect,” said Baukol.
Line working is listed as one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, but Baukol says that doesn’t worry him, since he says he’s being taught to take the job slowly, using all of the safety precautions he’s learning.
“Speaking for some of my coworkers, it is just something you don’t think about. We are here to do a job,” said Baukol.
According to Atticus, a law firm that focuses on workplace safety, North Dakota has the most OSHA work-related fatalities in the nation at 1.7 per a hundred thousand workers. AFL-CIO state president Landis Larson says it is a problem.
“Their odds are definitely higher in North Dakota, getting injured or killed on the job,” said Larson.
Larson says among the reasons is that the state has some of the most relaxed Worker Compensation laws. Also, he says North Dakota only has a federal OSHA program, while many others have state employees checking work sites. Larson says in North Dakota there are only seven people federally assigned to the state for OSHA.
“I believe they said it would take 150 years for them to inspect every employer in the state,” said Larson.
Atticus says jobs dealing with agriculture, construction, oil fields, public protection and transportation are all more likely to have fatal injuries, whereas states with the strictest regulations have fewer workplace injuries and deaths.
“But if we could get more inspections of workplaces, so people would know what they need to fix so they can keep their workers safe. I think would be very helpful,” said Larson.
So far in 2023, OSHA has reported two workplace deaths in the state. No citations were issued for either.
A spokesperson for North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance says there is a wide variety of occupational mixes and hazards between states. The department is not certain how to draw any conclusions from the report without adjusting for those different hazards.
WSI says it does offer safety programs, grants and services for employers.
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