This year’s state observance is planned for Tuesday, April 28, 2:00 p.m., at L&I’s headquarters building in Tumwater. 

People are invited to attend in person, and the event will also be streamed live.

Chemical exposure, blunt trauma, and vehicle crashes lead workplace deaths
Eighty-nine of the 115 workers being memorialized this year died in 2025. The remaining 26 passed away before last year but were not included in previous ceremonies.

Forty-nine died from exposure to toxic chemicals at work. Thirteen of them were firefighters, and at least a dozen worked at Hanford. Others worked as pipefitters, mechanics, construction workers, and other industries that work with hazardous chemicals.

Other leading causes of death include blunt force or crushing injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and falls. 

“Each year this ceremony is one of the most important, and perhaps most difficult, things we do,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks. “It’s a reminder of how important workplace safety is, and of the real-life, heartbreaking impact of work-related deaths.”

“The best way to honor fallen workers is to focus on preventing these tragedies from happening in the first place—to encourage employers and workers to create a workplace culture centered around safety,” said Sacks. 

Joint observance to share responsibility for workplace safety
Along with Director Sacks, Governor Bob Ferguson and representatives from the Washington State Labor Council, the Association of Washington Business, and Washington Self-Insurers Association will speak. 

Also sharing their story will be Bob and Gail Spurrell, the parents of a river guide honored during last year’s ceremony. Mike Spurrell died when his raft flipped while he was working as a river guide on a whitewater rafting trip. 

During the ceremony, the names of the workers who died will be read, accompanied by bell ringers from the Olympia and Tumwater Fire Departments. After the ceremony, families are invited to ring the brass bell in the Worker Memorial garden on the grounds of L&I’s headquarters. 

This is the 33rd time L&I has held the annual Worker Memorial Day ceremony. It’s one of many events in April honoring fallen workers across the nation.

Details 

What: Worker Memorial Day Ceremony.
When: April 28, 2026, 2 p.m. (PST).
Where: L&I Headquarters
             7273 Linderson Way SW, Tumwater, WA 98501

Who: Families, friends, L&I employees, and the public are invited to attend the event in person or watch the ceremony via livestream (lni.wa.gov/workermemorialday) and on L&I’s Facebook page.