The workers will be honored Wednesday, Sept. 24, during the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference in Spokane.

Among the award recipients are:

• A Pierce Transit supervisor who used Narcan and CPR to rescue a bus passenger;
• A Forks maintenance worker who found a woman who’d been ejected from a vehicle rolled over an embankment; and
• More than a dozen other workers who performed CPR, used an automated external defibrillator, or provided other aid to save lives.

“It’s not just a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

“Many of these workers were able to become lifesavers because they were trained to perform CPR, use a defibrillator, and carry Narcan in case of an overdose. When the time came to act, they were ready,” he said.

That was the case for six Boeing workers where several of them had taken the American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED course just weeks before a teammate collapsed on the job. The workers jumped into action with one starting CPR while directing others to help. Another co-worker called the Boeing Fire Department, while another grabbed the nearby defibrillator and administered a shock. The victim immediately regained consciousness. Medics soon arrived and took over care. They credit the workers with saving their teammate’s life. 

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

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 two workers who tried to prevent the death of 80-year-old dog walker, Ruth Dalton, during a carjacking in Seattle.

Damon Koler, a plumber, risked his own life to fight the knife-wielding suspect. He jumped into action grabbing a baseball bat in his van and slid over the hood, swinging at the SUV, smashing the back window and freeing five of the dogs inside. Koler tried to fight off the carjacker, but the suspect drove over Dalton as he fled.

Another worker, John Ayala, held Dalton in his arms until she stopped breathing, then performed CPR until paramedics arrived. 

“I knew she was gone,” said Ayala. “But, I wanted to give her whatever chance at survival I could.” Dalton suffered catastrophic injuries and was unable to be revived.

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 Spokane Convention Center beginning at 8:00 a.m.