Fifteen Washington workers will be honored with this year's Lifesaving Awards for extraordinary rescue actions taken on the job, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced. The awards ceremony will take place Wednesday, Sept. 30, during opening ceremonies of the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma.
The Lifesaving Awards recognize everyday workers—not professional first responders—who take quick, decisive action to save someone's life while at work. In one case, two Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife workers heard the cries of a man who had fallen 60 feet into a canyon and suffered severe spinal injuries. One worker stayed with the injured man and provided first aid while the other hiked back through rugged terrain to call for emergency aid. The man was airlifted out and treated.
In another rescue, two logging truck drivers encountered a despondent young man standing on a bridge railing who said he had taken pills hoping to "pass out and fall off the bridge." He told the drivers he had gone through a break-up and wanted to end his life. The two men talked him down from the railing, took away the remaining pills, and stayed with him for an hour until medics arrived to get him the help he needed.
"When emergencies happen, those working nearby are often the first ones to help," said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for the state Department of Labor & Industries' Division of Occupational Safety & Health. "These people were willing to step up and take action to save a life. It shows the best of humanity."
Award recipients are selected by a committee of industry and labor representatives. The two-day Safety and Health Conference, sponsored by the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board and the department, will feature safety demonstrations, workshops, and the Poletop Rescue Competition. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Eric Johnson, former KOMO-TV news anchor, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center.