A man walks on scaffolding used for the ongoing construction of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on the southeast corner of Colby Avenue and Wall Street in downtown Everett on Tuesday.

A man walks on scaffolding used for the ongoing construction of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on the southeast corner of Colby Avenue and Wall Street in downtown Everett on Tuesday.

Falls are the leading cause of work-related deaths, injuries

EVERETT — At least nine people who lived or worked in Snohomish County have died from job-related injuries since November 2014.

Those nine were among 84 people statewide whose lives were honored April 28 at a memorial ceremony held by the Department of Labor and Industries.

Five of the county’s job-related deaths occurred as the result of falls from a ladder, scaffolding or other equipment, according to the state. Several of the deaths in the county were the result of complications from workplace injuries sustained years ago, including ladder falls.

Falls also were the leading cause of worker deaths statewide, followed by car crashes, said Elaine Fischer, an agency spokeswoman. Men make up the majority of those killed at work in Washington. Six of the 2015 deaths were homicides.

This year, about half of the state’s fatalities involved workers who were 50 or older.

That’s unusual, Fischer said, because younger people generally work in the higher-risk professions, which include logging, construction and manufacturing.

The statewide list includes three U.S. Forest Service firefighters who died in a crash during a wildfire last summer in Eastern Washington.

Snohomish County’s lost lives included Steven Bartel, 66. He was the owner of an Everett-based company that coordinated motorcade escorts. Bartel succumbed to injuries from a motorcycle accident during a funeral motorcade, according to the report. Everett barber Paul Chachulski, 65, fell from a ladder at work, as did Marjorie Reed, 58, who stocked shelves at the Lake Stevens Target. Fall victim David West Jr., 56, was a technician at Boeing.

The youngest local victim was a 31-year-old carpenter who fell from a roof. The oldest was 80. He succumbed to injuries received when he fell from scaffolding in 2001 while working as a siding installer.

The nine Snohomish County cases might include people who lived or died elsewhere but worked for local employers. Not listed are people who suffered serious, life-changing injuries but survived.

The numbers are never exact because the state might not be notified of work-related deaths until years later, if ever. Some years, there are no deaths reported at Snohomish County workplaces. Because of the role work plays in people’s lives, job sites can become the location for other types of deaths, including homicide and suicide. Last year’s homicides included a robbery, a disgruntled worker and an incidence of domestic violence.

The annual memorial ceremony is part of the state’s commitment to preventing workplace deaths, and coming together to remember, L&I Director Joel Sacks said.

In addition to the memorial ceremony, the state produces an annual report on worker deaths. The deaths have been declining in Washington since the early 2000s.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.

Ladder safety

*Inspect ladders for damage at least once a year and before each use.

*Set them on dry, hard and flat ground, about a quarter of the ladder’s usable length from the wall. If using a supporting wall, make sure it’s not slippery.

*Test the ladder for stability before climbing.

*Never sit, stand or step on the top rung. Keep your weight balanced in the middle of the ladder.

*Avoid using ladders in the rain.

*Avoid carrying heavy objects up the ladder. Consider using a rope to pull up the items.

*Be especially careful if you’re older. Half of ladder deaths are people 65 and older. More than a third of ladder-related hospitalizations involved the same population.

Sources: Snohomish County Fire District 1 and Snohomish County Fire District 7

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

The rezoned property, seen here from the Hillside Vista luxury development, is surrounded on two sides by modern neighborhoods Monday, March 25, 2024, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Despite petition, Lake Stevens OKs rezone for new 96-home development

The change faced resistance from some residents, who worried about the effects of more density in the neighborhood.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, left, introduces Xichitl Torres Small, center, Undersecretary for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a talk at Thomas Family Farms on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free

At a press conference Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene called the Direct File program safe, easy and secure.

Former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Jeremie Zeller appears in court for sentencing on multiple counts of misdemeanor theft Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 1 week of jail time for hardware theft

Jeremie Zeller, 47, stole merchandise from Home Depot in south Everett, where he worked overtime as a security guard.

Everett
11 months later, Lake Stevens man charged in fatal Casino Road shooting

Malik Fulson is accused of shooting Joseph Haderlie to death in the parking lot at the Crystal Springs Apartments last April.

T.J. Peters testifies during the murder trial of Alan Dean at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Bothell cold case trial now in jury’s hands

In court this week, the ex-boyfriend of Melissa Lee denied any role in her death. The defendant, Alan Dean, didn’t testify.

A speed camera facing west along 220th Street Southwest on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Washington law will allow traffic cams on more city, county roads

The move, led by a Snohomish County Democrat, comes as roadway deaths in the state have hit historic highs.

Mrs. Hildenbrand runs through a spelling exercise with her first grade class on the classroom’s Boxlight interactive display board funded by a pervious tech levy on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lakewood School District’s new levy pitch: This time, it won’t raise taxes

After two levies failed, the district went back to the drawing board, with one levy that would increase taxes and another that would not.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.