COVID-19 was the leading cause of work-related fatalities in Washington for the second straight year, accounting for one-fourth of the 106 workers who died, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
L&I’s claim records show 26 people died in 2021 after contracting COVID-19 while working in hospitals, prisons, manufacturing jobs, or other workplaces. Another 15 workers died following long battles with other occupational illnesses.
“Even as we believe that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, we find ourselves looking back on another year where COVID was the leading cause of job-related deaths,” Joel Sacks, L&I’s director, said in a statement. “We will not forget those who lost their lives to COVID or other causes. We all need to do everything in our power to ensure every worker goes home safe at the end of the day.”
In 2021, the number of COVID-19 deaths increased, while the overall number of workplace fatalities declined by 13 from the previous year, when there were 119 workplace deaths, according to the figures.
Construction was the most dangerous industry, claiming 22 lives. Transportation/warehousing and public safety workers accounted for 16 and 14 deaths, respectively, according to the data.
The number of fatalities in agriculture fell by nearly half, with 11 worker deaths compared to 21 in 2020, however the number of deaths from motor vehicle crashes tripled, from seven to 21. Worker deaths from falls remained about the same at 10, according to L&I.
Topics Washington
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