While a report released last week on trends in workplace safety in 2013 by the state occupational epidemiologist showed fatalities dropped by more than 30% from 2012 to 2013, with hospitalisations down as well, the governor served a stern reminder that the price of safety was “eternal vigilance”

Nine of the United States’ 10 largest coal mines operate in the Wyoming part of the Powder River Basin, the most prolific basin in the world.

The largest coal mine is the Peabody Energy North Antelope Rochelle Complex, which produced more than 107.6 million tons in 2012.

“We must continue efforts to keep workers safe,” Mead said.

“We continue to look for new ways to emphasise safe workplaces. Last year I joined with industry and others to start the Transportation Safety Alliance and this year we are focusing on a safer construction industry.

“These reports help us focus resources and make recommendations based on hard data.

“We have more to do but this report indicates we are headed in the right direction. It helps us build on current efforts and gives a heightened focus on safety.”

Mead’s office said he was instrumental in the formation of the Transportation Safety Coalition, the Wyoming Refinery Safety Alliance and the Wyoming Construction Safety Alliance, all of which are mentioned in the report.

He also promotes the work of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Safety Alliance, which is becoming of increasing importance as oil production continues to grow, though natural gas has been on a steady decline since 2009.

Improvements in directional and horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has seen a nationwide surge in production, leading the US Energy Information to predict last December that domestic oil production would continue to rise for the next five years.

Wyoming was expected to have produced about 63 million barrels of oil in 2013, placing it eighth in EIAs US crude oil production rankings.

Wyoming’s State Geological Survey (SGS) said national demand, competition and pricing also play a role in the fluctuation of Wyoming’s oil and gas production numbers.

“Wyoming uses a small portion of its crude oil and natural gas in-state, but the majority is transferred through major interstate pipelines to the Midwest and West Coast,” the SGS said.

“What remains clear is the extraction, processing, and transportation of these energy sources to their intended markets is complex and constantly evolving.”

Since taking office, Mead and the legislature have added new Wyoming OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) safety positions.

They also created a Safety Fund of $US500,000 ($A551,000) to provide matching grants to companies for safety equipment and training.