State Department of Labor & Industries uncovers safety violations in Fish and Wildlife incidents

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) identified multiple workplace safety violations linked to two recent incidents involving the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

One included the drowning of a scientific technician and the other saw a worker suffer a head injury.

In January, 48-year-old Mary Valentine drowned at a fish trap on the Duckabush River in Brinnon. A month later, two WDFW scientific technicians had their boat capsize on the Nisqually River fish trap near Yelm. One of them hit the underside of the trap and suffered a head injury that required hospitalization.

The new violations come after L&I previously cited and fined WDFW in March for several infractions connected to the 2023 drowning of 31-year-old fisheries biologist Erin Peterson while she was working on the Wind River in Skamania County.

L&I has cited WDFW for willful violations of both recent incidents. A willful violation occurs when an employer knows safety requirements but fails to implement them. L&I contends that WDFW lacked adequate training programs and did not provide necessary training for employees working in outdoor environments.

“The right training can significantly reduce risks in hazardous outdoor settings,” Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, said in a news release. “Employers must ensure workers understand the dangers of their jobs and how to protect themselves. We hope these investigations prompt Fish and Wildlife to foster a culture of comprehensive safety training.”

Additional violations included failure to supply or mandate approved personal flotation devices, using damaged or improperly assembled rigging and straps and insufficient training for chainsaw use.

The Duckabush River incident led to nine violations and $114,000 in penalties, while the Nisqually River investigation uncovered four violations, resulting in $86,400 in penalties.

In March, L&I cited and fined WDFW $30,800 for inadequate field communications and failure to ensure workers wore approved personal flotation devices following the 2023 fatality. Fish and Wildlife did not contest any of the citations.

Penalties collected from these citations contribute to the workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, which supports injured workers and the families of those who have lost their lives on the job.