Editor’s Note: We couldn’t agree more with this editorial opinion by the Star-Tribune Editorial Board posted Sunday, July 25th. Here it is in its entirety.

We’re glad to see that an oil and gas industry group is continuing the efforts of the governor’s task force on workplace safety.

The Wyoming Oil and Gas Safety Alliance, a new organization, held its first meeting in Casper on Thursday. It plans to work closely with the Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration to promote better training and share “best practices” in an effort to reduce Wyoming’s workplace fatalities.

The Cowboy State has the worst workplace fatality rate in the nation. Wyoming’s rate, at times, been more than four times the national average.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal formed his task force in 2009, and it developed two main legislative recommendations: raise the fines that OSHA can impose for serious violations of workplace safety laws, and increase the fine for not wearing a seat belt. The latter came as a result of a National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety report that showed there were 210 workplace fatalities in Wyoming from 2003 to 2007. Of those, 103 were motor vehicle crashes.

The proposed higher OSHA fines, somewhat surprisingly, were supported by many large oil and gas companies. But a bill increasing the fines, after winning House approval 54-3, was killed by the Senate on a 15-15 tie vote.

The bill would have raised the penalty for an employer who violated OSHA rules — resulting in the death of an employee — from the current $70,000 up to a maximum of $250,000. It also would have increased penalties for nonfatal workplace safety violations. The state hasn’t increased its OSHA penalties, which are hardly a deterrent, since 1984. In fact, the state’s fines for poaching a moose out of season are much higher than for reckless violation of OSHA rules that results in the death of a worker.

Making matters worse, the House, in retaliation for the Senate’s action, killed the task force’s bill that would have raised the fine for not wearing a seat belt from $25 to $75, thus rejecting all of the group’s legislative recommendations.

Freudenthal, who at the time said the OSHA vote didn’t reflect well on the state, has since sharpened his attack on opponents. When he addressed the new alliance, the governor noted, “They’re legislators, which is another form of childhood. But you don’t kill legislation that is related to the health and safety of citizens of this state.”

The governor fulfilled one of the task force’s recommendations when he agreed to hire a state epidemiologist who can gather data and perform scientific analysis to discover the root cause of accidents and fatalities. The position, which is expected to be filled by the end of July, is funded for two years, but whoever succeeds Freudenthal, who is not seeking re-election, is not obligated to continue the job.

This year the Legislature essentially said the status quo is keeping Wyoming workers safe enough, when it obviously isn’t. The situation drastically needs to improve, and it’s important for the oil and gas industry, through the safety alliance, to take the lead in making that point to lawmakers and the public.

But just as vital as any legislation is the ability of the large and small oil and gas companies to work together to share best practices and develop ways to reduce the number of workplace accidents and fatalities in Wyoming. Since lives literally depend on such cooperation, they should be highly motivated to succeed.