Call 1-800-423-7233, option 1
To report an on-the-job fatality, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye, call 1-800-423-7233.
- You have 8 hours to report a workplace fatality or in-patient hospitalization of any employee
- You have 24 hours to report a non-hospitalized amputation or loss of an eye of any employee
If you, as an employer or an agent of an employer, do not learn about the incident when it takes place, you must still report it within these time frames after you are notified.
If your business is in another state, and your employee is injured in Washington state, you must follow these reporting requirements. These requirements also apply if your business is based in Washington and your employee is injured while working out-of-state.
What to report
When reporting an incident, make sure to provide:
- Name and phone number of the best person to contact
- The name of the establishment/business
- The location/address where it happened
- The date and time it happened
- The names and number of employees harmed
- A brief description of the incident
Preserve the scene
You can move equipment as necessary to assist a victim or prevent further harm, but you must preserve the scene of a work-related incident until L&I has investigated. This includes not moving machinery, tools, or personal protective equipment involved in the incident. (WAC 296-800-32010)
Use the information in this table to build hazard awareness and prevent risk for similar occurrences in your workplace.
This table shares preliminary details about many of the fatalities reported to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (DOSH). When further details are available, entries may be updated in the annual summary.
Note: This is a partial list, for instructional purposes only and is not meant for data or research purposes. In addition to being a partial list, fatalities associated with natural causes or suicides are not listed. The Worker Memorial Day ceremony and SHARP's FACE Program use different criteria for counting worker deaths in Washington.
Yearly Summaries
- Summary of workplace fatalities 2011-2023 (Microsoft Excel file)
18 Workplace Fatalities in Washington State 2024
| Event Date | Description of the Event | Industry |
|---|---|---|
| 1/9/2024 | A worker sustained fatal injuries when sheets of oriented strand board (OSB) fell onto the worker. | Lessor Of Other Real Estate Property |
| 1/23/24 | A worker assigned to count fish along a river was found dead approximately 425 yards downstream. | Administration of Conservation Programs |
| 3/7/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries while loading a piece of heavy equipment onto a lowboy using a digger derrick. | Electrical Contractors (PT) |
| 3/8/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after being crushed Unitizer machine. | Paper (Except Newsprint) Mills |
| 3/13/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after a manhole came down and crushed the worker. | Commercial and Institutional Building Construction |
| 4/19/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. | Charter Bus Industry |
| 5/15/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after a riding lawn mower the worker was operating went down a 12 foot embankment and landed on the workers chest. | Site Preparation Contractors (PT) |
| 5/31/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after falling 25 feet off a second story residential home to the concrete ground below | Roofing Contractors |
| 6/7/24 | A worker cleaning inside a tanker truck was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at job site. | Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
| 6/13/24 | A worker was found unresponsive in the back of a work truck while on a jobsite. | All Other Miscellaneous Waste Management Services |
| 6/14/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after being pinned under a tractor that rolled backwards down a canal. | Farm Management Services |
| 7/1/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries when a tree branch fell onto the worker. | Landscaping Services |
| 7/12/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries while operating a riding that went off an embankment and rolled on top of the worker. | Other Vegetable (Exempt Potato) and Melon Farming |
| 8/2/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after another worker started a vehicle and ran over the other worker who was under it working. | General Automotive Repair |
| 8/20/24 | A worker died due to exposure to excessive heat. | Temporary Help Services |
| 9/10/24 | On 3/18/24 a worker sustained, a serious hip injury when a patient at an assist living facility pushed the worker to the ground. The worker died a week later because of the injury. | Temporary Help Services |
| 10/25/24 | A worker died after getting stuck inside a spiral freezer while doing maintenance work. | Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing |
| 11/5/24 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after a forklift rolled down an embankment onto the worker. | Paper (Except Newsprint) Mills |
| Event Date | Description of the Event | Industry |
|---|---|---|
| 1/6/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after falling 25 feet from a construction lift bucket to the ground below. | Landscaping Services |
| 1/12/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after falling from a roof while cleaning gutters. | Roofing Contractors |
| 1/20/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after a branch from above fell and struck the worker while performing a base cut of a tree | Landscaping Services |
| 2/14/23 | An owner sustained fatal injuries after being pinned under a skid loader while loading it. | Logging |
| 3/7/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after falling four stories down an elevator shaft while rigging an item on a tower crane that also fell on top of the worker. | Commercial and Institutional Building Construction |
| 4/7/23 | A worker sustained a fatal injury after being found in an assembly area while working alone. | Specialized Freight (Except Used Goods) Trucking |
| 4/27/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after falling 33-34 feet off a rafter. | Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction |
| 5/3/23 | A worker sustained a fatal injury after being shot while at work. | Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores |
| 5/7/23 | A worker died from fatal injuries received after the tractor the worker was operating rolled over on to a roadway. | Apple Orchards |
| 6/1/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after a wheel of a truck trailer ran over the worker. | Specialized Freight (Except Used Goods) Trucking |
| 6/7/23 | A worker died from exposure to CO Poisoning. | General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload |
| 6/8/23` | A worker sustained fatal injuries after the tractor the worker was operating rolled over. | Apple Orchards |
| 6/27/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after a pay-loader the worker was operating swerved and rolled down an embankment. | Hay Farming |
| 6/30/23 | A worker died after falling into a river while working as a bridge attendant. | Regulation and Administration of Transportation PR. |
| 7/20/23 | A worker sustained injuries but later died from those injuries when a vehicle driven by a homeowner pinned the worker against a tree. | Landscaping Services |
| 8/3/23 | A worker died while driving a work truck vehicle to run an errand. | Potato Farming |
| 8/10/23 | A police officer was discovered dead at a desk while at work. | Police Protection |
| 9/9/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. | Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
| 9/11/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries when an airbag the worker was replacing exploded. | Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
| 9/13/23 | A worker died after drowning in a river while snorkeling. | Administration of Conservation Programs |
| 9/24/23 | A worker died after being burned while working on a liquid gas transport during an offloading process. | Natural Gas Distribution |
| 9/26/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after being crushed between a forklift and a produce bin. | Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
| 10/1/23 | A worker died after due to lack of oxygen while inside a CA room. | Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing |
| 10/9/23 | A worker received serious head injuries but later died after falling down some stairs. | Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse facility |
| 11/8/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries when a tire the worker was working on exploded. | Tire Dealers |
| 12/1/23 | A worker sustained fatal injuries after falling 50 feet to the cement ground below while trimming a tree. | Landscaping Services |
Employers covered by recordkeeping rules are required to record workplace injuries and illnesses (including work-related COVID-19 illnesses) on an OSHA 300 log. In addition, you can use this information to find and fix hazards affecting your workers and refine your workplace health and safety programs.
You must post the annual summary portion of the OSHA 300 log (form OSHA 300A) from February 1 through April 30 of each year.
Electronic submission of injury and illness records to OSHA.
New in 2024 – Establishments that both employed 100 or more different employees, and are in designated industries.
If your establishment employed 100 or more employees in certain high-hazard industries as per WAC 296-27-071 Appendix B then you must electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, and Form 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report to OSHA once a year. These submissions are in addition to submission of Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
OSHA will publish some of the data collected on its website to allow employers, employees, potential employees, employee representatives, current and potential customers, researchers and the general public to use information about a company's workplace safety and health record to make informed decisions. OSHA believes that providing public access to the data will ultimately reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.
Establishments that employed 250 or more different employees.
If your establishment employed 250 or more different employees during the course of the previous calendar year, and this chapter requires your establishment to keep records, then you must electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses to OSHA or OSHA's designee.
Establishments that both employed 20 to 249 different employees, and are in designated industries.
If your establishment employed 20 to 249 different employees during the course of the previous calendar year, and your establishment is in a designated industry listed in WAC 296-27-071 Appendix B, then you must electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses to OSHA or OSHA's designee.
Note: L&I is not involved in this transmission, and does not use the information.
To learn more about the OSHA requirements, visit OSHA's rule information page.
Businesses that are exempt from OSHA 300 reporting requirements
Small employers and low-risk businesses may be exempt from these requirements if:
- They have 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year at all of their combined business locations.
- The business is included on the industry exemption list in Table 1 under WAC 296-27-00105.
Note: This exemption does not apply if the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), OSHA, or DOSH notifies you to comply.
Resources to help
- OSHA 300 Recordkeeping Webcast
- Recording & Reporting eLesson
- Injury & Illness Recordkeeping Forms - 300, 300A, 301
Recordkeeping Rules
WAC 296-27-011 through 296-27-02117 lists the main record keeping rules for businesses. Depending on your industry, hazards, or activities, additional reporting requirements may apply.
- Core Rules – Accident Reporting and Investigating (WAC 296-800-320)
- Agriculture Safety Standards – Employer's Responsibilities (WAC 296-307-018)
- Bloodborne Pathogens - Records (WAC 296-823-170)
- Charter Boats – Operations (WAC 296-115-060)
- Commercial Diving Operations - Recordkeeping Requirements (WAC 296-37-575)
- Employee Medical and Exposure Records (WAC 296-802)
- Fire Fighting – Injury and Illness Reporting (WAC 296-305-01501 and 01503)
- Sawmills and Woodworking Operations - Management’s Responsibility (WAC 296-78-515).
Videos, Training, and Prevention Resources
Videos
- Eye on Safety - Recordkeeping and Reporting
- How to Report a Fatality and Hospitalization to the WA State Dept. of L&I
- OSHA Recordkeeping for Managers & Supervisors
Training Materials
Self-paced
For Groups
Publications, Handouts, Checklists, Sample Programs
- Checklist of recordkeeping (Oregon-OSHA)
- Do I Have To Have and Maintain an OSHA 300 Log?
- Employer Reason for Injury Underreporting
- Enhanced/Detailed 5-Step Process for Determining Recordability
- OSHA 300 Recordkeeping Forms.
- Recording and posting workplace injuries and illnesses (Oregon-OSHA fact sheet)
- Simple 5-Step Process for Determining Injury an Illness Recordability
An accident is typically a preventable incident where someone is harmed or fatally injured.
Required Investigations
You must investigate any accident that results in a fatality, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye. Employers are also required to investigate other accidents that cause serious injury and/or illnesses per WAC 296-800-320.
You may use this Accident/Incident Table to help determine when notification and investigation follow up is required.
Recommended Investigations
Accidents requiring only first aid, or “close calls” (i.e., near-misses) where no one is hurt, are not required to be reported. These should still be investigated because they can help predict and prevent future accidents.
Benefits of investigations
Investigating accidents makes good business sense. Accidents are predictable – they are the logical outcome of hazards.
Investigations help you:
- Identify hazards to prevent future accidents
- Discover and correct deficiencies in training, work practices, and/or equipment
- Reduce direct and indirect costs associated with accidents, including workers’ compensation costs
- Improve worker’s confidence and morale
- Strengthen your required Accident Prevention Program (APP)
How to Investigate
Have a plan in place before an accident occurs! A plan can reduce the chaos during an incident and help you ensure a safe and efficient investigation. For best results, make finding the “root cause/s” the focus of your investigations, not fault finding.
Once your plan is in place, be sure to inform and train everyone so they know who does what. Revisit your plan when it might need updating and keep everyone informed and trained on any changes you make.
When investigating:
- Preserve the scene and keep unauthorized personnel away. Cones, warning tape, and/or guards can help you do this. Be sure to check for danger and ensure victims’ safety.
- Document the scene. Take notes and use photo, video, and/or sketching to detail the who, what, where, when, and how details about the incident.
- Collect information from witnesses. Obtain other relevant information like equipment manuals, safety data sheets (SDSs), and company documents (like safety policies, operating procedures, training and injury records, logs, reports, etc.).
- Determine the root causes and best corrective actions to take. This requires technique (e.g., keep asking “Why” questions) and time for a deep evaluation, but will make it easier to focus on the most effective corrective actions to take to prevent further incidents.
- Implement corrective actions. Some actions may take more planning and implementation time than others.