Washington State is honoring 17 workplace heroes who saved lives while they were on the job.
The annual Lifesaving Awards are scheduled to be presented Sept. 28, 2023, during the opening ceremony of the state’s Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference
“When faced with a life-threatening situation, these ordinary people took extraordinary measures to rescue their co-workers and, in some cases, complete strangers,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. “I’m inspired by their stories and thrilled to be honoring these workers.”
In each case, the award winners “acted quickly, decisively and compassionately to identify someone in jeopardy, assess the situation, take action and call in emergency aid when needed.”
Among the 17 award winners are:
- three workers who helped put out a van fire along a highway and save the occupants
- two public utility workers who rescued a person stranded and freezing in the snow
- a counselor who administered Narcan to save a youth home resident who overdosed, and
- several workers who performed CPR or used an automatic external defibrillator to save lives.
Award recipients are selected by a committee of business and labor representatives. To be eligible for this year’s award, the heroic act must have occurred during work hours between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022 and the nominee must have performed hands-on aid.
