http://www.lni.wa.gov/rss 2013 Mon, 20 May 2013 14:54:00 -0800 webfeedback@lni.wa.gov http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130520a.asp The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has awarded the SMART Association and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties an $85,000 grant to partner in creating a program to get injured construction workers back on the job sooner.

]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 14:54:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130517a.asp The Department of Labor & Industries has scheduled a webinar to showcase the value of its Return to Work grant program and encourage more applicants to seek funding.

]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 11:49:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130514b.asp A 39-year-old Tacoma woman faces charges on five counts of theft for fraudulently collecting more than $50,000 in workers' compensation benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).

]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 11:53:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130514a.asp The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has fined a King County gun shop $23,480 for exposing workers to health hazards caused by lead exposure. Wade's Eastside Gun Shop, Inc. in Bellevue was cited for 17 violations of worker safety and health rules at the business's indoor firing range.

]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 11:43:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130510a.asp With hot summer weather arriving early this year, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) wants to remind both workers and employers that working outdoors in hot weather can put you at risk of heat-related illness.

]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 9:29:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130509c.asp The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has awarded the University of Washington (UW), in collaboration with Harborview Medical Center, a $100,000 grant to help get injured health-care workers back on the job sooner.

]]> Thu, 9 May 2013 14:47:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130509b.asp Three local employers have been recognized for safety excellence by the Department of Labor & Industries.

]]> Thu, 9 May 2013 09:44:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130509a.asp Gov. Jay Inslee has declared May as "Safe Jobs for Youth Month," just ahead of the summer season, when many teens apply for work. While many teens will simply be grateful for a job, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) wants to remind teens, parents and employers that the top priority should be providing a safe workplace for these young workers.

]]> Thu, 9 May 2013 06:22:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130507a.asp Jose Ramon Amaya-Hernandez thought he found the perfect way to get prescription narcotics — go to a hospital claiming to be in pain due to a work related injury. However, an investigation by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) uncovered the scam.

]]> Tue, 7 May 2013 08:22:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130417b.asp The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is seeking public comment on new rules for prescribing opioids (narcotics) to treat pain in injured workers.

]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:45:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130417a.asp A young fisherman, a veteran truck driver, a bridge painter, and an office manager working at her desk — these are among the 66 people who will be honored this year at the 2013 Worker Memorial Day ceremony April 23.

]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:00:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130408a.asp The Washington Dept. of Labor & Industries today completed a four-month investigation into the cause of a serious escalator malfunction at Bellevue Square on Dec. 6, 2012 that injured seven people.

]]> Mon, 8 Apr 2013 11:00:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130402a.asp As construction activity continues to rebound, staying focused on workplace safety and preventing injuries is more important than ever.

]]> Tue, 2 Apr 2013 14:15:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130401a.asp A Tacoma couple received jail time and will have to reimburse the state more than $200,000 after they both filed fraudulent workers' compensation claims in 2009.

]]> Mon, 1 Apr 2013 14:49:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130322a.asp A Tacoma woman received a 90-day jail term and must pay restitution after pleading guilty to first degree theft charges for fraudulently billing the Department of Labor & Industries for language interpretive services she never provided.

]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130320a.asp A new advertising campaign on television and the Internet is encouraging employers in Washington state to provide light-duty jobs for their employees while they recover from workplace injuries.

]]> Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:00:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130306a.asp Owners of a towing service will pay nearly $23,000 in restitution and fines after pleading guilty to charges that they continued to employ workers in their Spanaway towing business after the state had prohibited them from doing so.

]]> Wed, 6 Mar 2013 11:00:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130222a.asp A Seattle man will pay more than $5,000 in fines and restitution after pleading guilty to charges that he overbilled the state for Spanish language interpretive services.

]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:30:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130214b.asp A Lake Stevens man was sentenced to 60 days in jail converted to electronic home monitoring after a state investigation showed he failed to obtain workers' compensation benefits for his employees.

]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:30:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130214a.asp A new campaign urging consumers to carefully check the credentials of anyone they hire for home repairs or remodels was launched today by the Department of Labor & Industries. Mike Holmes, nationally known renovation expert, fraud-fighter, and host of HGTV's Holmes on Homes show is the face of the campaign.

]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:15:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130206a.asp Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Agriculture Safety Day, which will be held on March 6, 2013, at the Wenatchee Convention Center.

]]> Wed, 6 Feb 2013 10:40:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130204a.asp The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is requesting proposals from health care organizations interested in sponsoring Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHEs). The COHEs work with medical providers, employers and injured workers to improve health care for work-related injuries and illnesses.

]]> Mon, 4 Feb 2013 16:05:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130201b.asp The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has selected Consilience Software to develop a computer system that will track health care delivery for injured workers. This Occupational Health Management System (OHMS) will be used by L&I’s Centers of Occupational Health and Education and other programs. The first phase of the multi-million dollar project will be completed in mid-2013.

]]> Fri, 1 Feb 2013 16:05:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130201a.asp An L&I investigation led to a four-and- a-half month jail sentence for a Kettle Falls woman who admitted to stealing more than $30,000 in workers' compensation benefits.

]]> Fri, 1 Feb 2013 11:55:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130131a.asp Have an innovative idea for improving workplace safety and health, such as with training, equipment or another new idea?

]]> Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:37:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130114a.asp Doyle Ronald Wheeler, 36, of Spokane, has been charged in Spokane County Superior Court with first degree felony theft for illegally collecting workers' compensation benefits.

]]> Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:33:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130111a.asp The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been cited for 15 worker-safety violations following an investigation into the drowning death of a DNR diver last summer.

]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:15:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130103a.asp The Department of Labor and Industries has mailed a new set of required workplace posters to employers in Washington state. A major change in the workers' compensation poster (Notice to Employees-If a Job Injury Occurs) prompted the mailing—injured workers must now see a network medical provider for ongoing care.

]]> Thu, 3 Jan 2013 15:19:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2013/pr130102a.asp Effective January 1, workers who suffer a job-related injury or illness can see any provider for their first visit to a doctor's office or an emergency room, but for ongoing treatment they must get care from a doctor in the network.

]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:00:00 -0800 http://lni.wa.gov/News/2012/pr121228a.asp Washington's minimum wage increases 15 cents to $9.19 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:00:00 -0800 http://www.lni.wa.gov/News/2012/pr121130a.asp L&I today announced there will be no overall increase in workers' compensation insurance premiums in 2013. This is the second year in a row that L&I has held overall rates flat.

]]> Sun, 30 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800 http://www.lni.wa.gov/News/2012/pr121121a.asp A Tacoma couple has been charged with one count of felony theft each for collecting workers' compensation benefits illegally.

]]> Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:11:00 -0800 http://www.lni.wa.gov/news/2012/pr121108a.asp It takes just one accidental splash of a corrosive substance, even a common household chemical like bleach, to cause serious or even permanent damage to a worker's eyes or skin. That is why Washington state law requires employers to provide emergency washing/eyewash stations, in addition to personal protective equipment, when there's a potential employee exposure to corrosives, strong irritants or toxic chemicals.

]]> Thu, 8 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800 http://www.lni.wa.gov/news/2012/pr121107a.asp In the fourth surprise sweep in Washington state since August, construction compliance inspectors with L&I visited 63 work sites in Chelan and Douglas counties this past weekend, citing 11 contractors for either lacking a state registration, or not being registered for the work they were actually doing. The infraction carries a $1,000 fine for a first-time offense.

]]> Tue, 6 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800