Above: Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Wyoming’s high rates of fatal occupational injuries. (Andy Edwards/News&Guide)

Wyoming is a dangerous place for workers. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, Wyoming had the highest per capita incident rate of fatal workplace injuries. In 2017, it was No. 3 on the list, behind North Dakota and Alaska. Wyoming also has one of the highest rates of nonfatal injuries. And this week Jackson Hole News&Guide reporter Allie Gross investigated the ordeal that undocumented people in Wyoming face when they get injured on the job. Typically people have a manner of recourse when they’re injured at work. They file a workers’ compensation claim and the state covers their medical care and reimburses them for lost wages.

Gross found that is not the case for undocumented workers.

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Robyn was at the helm of KHOL's news department from 2019 to 2020. She worked as a reporter and editor in Wyoming for a decade and her work has aired on NPR stations throughout the West.