April 23, 2018
#18-011
Washington’s fallen workers to be
honored at April 26 Ceremony
TUMWATER ̶ More than 60 fallen Washington workers will be remembered by
their families and friends and honored by the Department of Labor & Industries
(L&I) at an April 26 memorial ceremony in Tumwater.
Though the number of annual work-related fatalities
has declined in recent years, there are still far too many each year. Nearly
all are preventable. The
Worker Memorial Day ceremony will recognize the 65 work-related deaths in our state last year.
Governor Jay Inslee is scheduled to speak at
the ceremony. Families and friends of fallen workers and the public are invited.
“We feel a sense of tragedy as each name is
read aloud during the ceremony, and we’re reminded of the families and friends
left behind,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks. “We have to do better. The best
way to honor these fallen workers is to ensure that employers and workers have
the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe and healthy.”
The people who died on the job in 2017 range
in age from 20 to 87. They are men and women from all walks of life, and they
worked in fields including retail, trucking, construction, accounting, fishing,
and dairy worker. They were brothers and fathers, sisters and mothers — an avid hunter, a gardener who canned pickles,
a ballet dancer, a snowboarder, a cook. People who contributed to their
communities and are deeply missed.
Four died as a result of violence in the
workplace and six succumbed after years-long battles with work-related
illnesses. As always, falls were a leading cause of workers’ deaths in 2017.
They are sudden and preventable with simple precautions.
The Worker Memorial Day Ceremony begins at
the L&I headquarters Auditorium at 2 p.m. April 26. During the event, each
worker’s name will be read accompanied by bell ringers from the Washington
State Council of Fire Fighters. After the formal ceremony, families are invited
to the Worker Memorial Garden outside to ring the memorial bell and say a few
words about their loved ones.
Along with Gov. Inslee, representatives from
the Association of Washington Business, the Washington State Labor Council, the
Washington Self-Insurers Association and Kids Chance will take part in the
ceremony.
This is one of many ceremonies honoring
fallen workers across the nation. L&I has hosted this event for more than
two decades.
DETAILS:
What: Worker
Memorial Day Ceremony
When: April 26,
2018, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Where: L&I
Headquarters Building Auditorium and Memorial Garden, 7273 Linderson Way
S.W., Tumwater
Who: Families,
friends, L&I employees and the general public are invited
###
For media
information:
Frank Ameduri, L&I Public Affairs, 360-902-5413.
Connect with L&I: Facebook (facebook.com/laborandindustries) and Twitter (twitter.com/lniwa)
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