Construction most dangerous industry in Washington state, data says
The fatal crane crash in Seattle's South Lake Union came just days after the state was honoring Worker Memorial Day to remember those who died while on the job.
Two iron workers were among the four people who died Saturday. In the few days before and after, previously scheduled worker memorials happened around the state.
Last year, 91 people died from work-related injury or illness in Washington.
Washington's Department of Labor and Industries, which records and investigates each incident, holds a memorial each year to raise awareness about occupational safety and honor those who've died.
Work-related deaths are on a slight uptick over the past few years, with 70 in 2015 and 85 in 2017. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks these trends.
The most dangerous industry is construction, according to state data from 2017, the most recent year with full data.
That year 15 people died in the construction industry in Washington state from slips and falls, being struck by equipment, and other reasons. Nine of those fatalities were from being struck by construction equipment.
On top of that, BLS counted 3,700 injuries in construction.
Governor Jay Inslee spoke at a ceremony in Tumwater on April 24.
"We want the day to come when there is no one here on fallen workers day, and we are dedicated to that proposition," he said.
Bells rang at the ceremony as each of the 91 names of those who died were read.
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Paige Browning
Newscaster
Paige hosts midday newscasts and monitors news of significance to the Puget Sound region. She hopped over Washington’s mountains to join KUOW, after hosting news and reporting at Spokane Public Radio since 2011. She began her start in radio while a journalism student at University of Montana, by sharing stories with KUFM. Paige was raised in the mountains and rivers around Spokane. In her spare time she cheers on the Mariners in the summer, and hopes for snow in the winter.
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