Tag Archives: Worker Memorial Day

Worker Memorial Day Celebration Canceled

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has observed Worker Memorial Day since 1990 and, in 1993, began conducting a special ceremony to mark the day.

Washington State’s Worker Memorial Day service was canceled this year due to the Coronavirus outbreak. It is a solemn ceremony where the names of workers in Washington that lost their lives are shared with a bell tolled for each life lost. It is an annual tradition of importance. I wish it could have been arranged as a remote event.

You can read the history of Worker Memorial Day in Washington state, including information about the bell created by artist Tom Torrens, which has been used in the ceremony since 2007, here. Past events are also available for viewing. Below is the 2019 event.

The notice of cancellation from the Department of Labor and Industries (DLI) is below:

Remembering workers who sacrificed their lives

DLI encourages moment of silence for lost workers and those on the front lines

Now more than ever, the safety and health of workers is top of mind here and around the world. The week of April 28 is traditionally when Worker Memorial Day is commemorated in Washington state.

This year’s in-person events at the Department of Labor and Industries and around the state have been cancelled because of the pandemic and the need for social distancing, but those lost to workplace injuries and illness must not be forgotten.

DLI honors and remembers each worker who died in connection with their job in 2019, and shares heartfelt condolences with their family and friends.

Fifty-five workers died in 2019 as a result of work-related incidents, and 43 passed away last year after long battles with occupational illnesses. The names of all 98 workers honored by DLI this year are available on DLI’s website.

“Worker Memorial Day is about remembering those we have lost, and the unbearable cost to families when people die in connection with their jobs. It’s also a time for all of us to recommit to doing everything possible at work to keep ourselves and our coworkers safe from harm. There is always more to do,” said DLI Director Joel Sacks.

“We had no choice but to cancel this year’s ceremony,” Sacks added, “but it doesn’t diminish the importance of remembering fallen workers and continuing our efforts to reduce to zero the number of people who die in connection with their job.”

Motor vehicle crashes, workplace violence and occupational illness 

Motor vehicle crashes continued to be a serious hazard for Washington workers, claiming 24 lives in 2019. There were fewer fatalities from falls in 2019, but sadly, workplace violence claimed 13 lives. Nearly half of workplace fatalities were associated with occupational illnesses such as cancer and mesothelioma.

These workers were men and women ranging in age from 17 to 94. They were store owners, millwrights, crane workers, medical technicians, retail clerks, truck drivers, and much more. They were moms, dads, brothers, sisters and cherished friends who meant much more than their occupations to their families and communities.

DLI encourages moment of silence for fallen workers and those on the job

“I encourage everyone to take a moment of silence sometime this week to remember the workers who were lost in 2019, and in support of all of the workers on the front lines of the pandemic providing much needed health care, goods and services during this challenging time,” Sacks said. 

Adding to the sadness of each life lost at work is the knowledge that every one of these incidents was preventable. Worker Memorial Day stands as a reminder that these were human lives lost, and that the work to prevent future workplace deaths is vital.

Prior Related Posts:

Worker Memorial Day Honored WA Workers Who Died as a Result of Job-Related Injuries and Illnesses

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries hosts a Worker Memorial Day ceremony each spring to honor those who have died in the previous year from job-related injuries or illnesses. This year, fallen workers from all walks of life were remembered on April 27th during a ceremony at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ (L&I) building in Tumwater. 

The state ceremony is one of many held in communities across the nation in April to remember those who died from work-related causes.

Families of the fallen workers were invited to attend the service, which included comments from speakers, a reading of the names of the workers who have died, and an outdoor portion where relatives were invited to ring a bell hanging in L&I’s Worker Memorial Garden. The names of the workers were also entered into a Worker Memorial book, displayed in the agency’s lobby. 

Eight truck drivers, five loggers, two nurses, a police officer, a fire chief and a flagger are among the 79 people who died from work-related causes who were honored at this year’s Worker Memorial Day observance. The men and women range in age from 19 to 90 and did all types of work, including retail clerk, business owner, truck driver, farmworker, chiropractor and arborist.

“Work-related deaths are devastating for the families and friends left behind. We should all be able to count on our loved ones returning home from work safely each day,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks. “There’s no greater legacy that we could create than preventing tragedies like these from ever being repeated.”  

Falls happen in all types of jobs, and they remain a leading cause of worker deaths. Violent crime also impacts workplaces. Eight work-related deaths last year were homicides, the highest number since 2009. Overall, recent data shows construction, trucking and agriculture continue to be among the most hazardous jobs for Washington workers. 

Workplace deaths in Washington are declining. In the early 2000s job-related deaths often numbered more than 100 annually. Still, Director Sacks said even one work-related death is too many.

The 79 workers who were remembered during the ceremony included those who died of incidents that happened in 2016, and people who passed away last year as a result of previous work-related illnesses or injuries. The ceremony also honored 12 people who died before 2016 but whose deaths were not included in previous observances.

Governor Jay Inslee took part in the ceremony, along with representatives of the Association of Washington Business, the Washington State Labor Council and the Washington Self-Insurers Association. The observance was also open to the general public.

For a complete list of those being honored, with photos and family comments for many of those honored, read more here.

Photo Credit: KUOW/JOHN RYAN  JAN 2, 2015

Ceremony April 23 to Mark Worker Memorial Day

The agency has hosted a ceremony for Worker Memorial Day for 20 years.

A young fisherman, a veteran truck driver, a bridge painter, and an office manager working at her desk – these are among the 66 people who will be honored this year at the 2013 Worker Memorial Day ceremony April 23rd. The parents, spouses, children and other relatives of those who died from a job-related illness or injury last year have all been invited to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ (L&I) annual Worker Memorial Day ceremony.

“We honor those who died last year by pledging to do everything in our power to prevent these tragedies from being repeated.” – Director Joel Sacks

The 66 workers to be honored include young people, such as the 22-year-old college student working as a commercial fisherman, to seniors in their 80s who died from diseases caused by workplace exposure to asbestos while they were in their prime working years. Some worked in jobs considered hazardous, like logging, construction and fishing, and others were in less hazardous professions, such as insurance, research, or sales.

“Worker Memorial Day is a somber reminder that there is still much work to do to make sure every worker in Washington returns home safely at the end of the day,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks. “We honor those who died last year by pledging to do everything in our power to prevent these tragedies from being repeated.”

The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. at L&I’s central building in Tumwater, 7273 Linderson Way S.W. The agency has hosted a ceremony for Worker Memorial Day for 20 years.

Governor Jay Inslee is scheduled to attend, as well as representatives of the Association of Washington Business, the Washington State Labor Council, and the Washington Self-Insurers Association. While the relatives of all the workers who died in 2012 have been invited, the observance is also open to their friends, colleagues, and the general public.

The ceremony includes a reading of the names of the workers who died, accompanied by bell ringers from the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters. After the ceremony, the families are invited to ring the brass bell in the Worker Memorial garden on the grounds of the L&I building.

A book in the lobby of L&I’s Tumwater building contains the names of all the fallen workers. For a complete list of those being honored, visit www.WorkerMemorialDay.Lni.wa.gov.

 

To connect with L&I: Facebook (facebook.com/laborandindustries) and Twitter (twitter.com/lniwa)

Photo credit: Mauigirl 2011 / Foter.com / CC BY-ND