Thirty-five workplace heroes will be honored Wednesday, Sept. 25, during the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma.

Among the award winners this year are:

• Four ferry workers who rescued a group of boaters and their dogs when their cabin cruiser was hit by high winds and waves;
• An L&I electrical inspector who saved an elderly man he found lying in snow; and,
• More than a dozen workers who performed CPR, used an automated external defibrillator, or provided other aid to save lives.

A complete list of the award winners and descriptions of their heroic actions is available online.

“These folks did not leave for work in the morning thinking they’d be faced with a life-threatening situation. None of us really knows how we will react until it happens,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

“The people who are being honored all acted quickly, decisively, and compassionately in response to unexpected emergencies—and their actions saved lives,” he said.

In addition to the Lifesaving Awards, the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board gives a Humanitarian Award to people who performed a heroic act, but despite best efforts, were unable to save the victim’s life. This year’s award goes to three workers who were providing scuba diving training when they pulled the body of a missing diver out of Lake Washington. They performed CPR until they could get him to first responders, but unfortunately, he died at the hospital.  

Recipients of the Lifesaving and Humanitarian Awards are selected by a committee of business and labor representatives.

For law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and similar professions, the lifesaving action must be above and beyond a typical emergency they normally face.

The two-day Safety and Health Conference, sponsored by the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), includes safety demonstrations and workshops featuring the latest workplace safety and health technologies, innovations and strategies, along with special events like the Poletop Rescue Competition.

The Lifesaving Awards will be presented during the opening ceremony at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center beginning at 8:00 a.m.