WDFW fined for safety violations that led to injury and death

TUMWATER, Wash. — The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department has been fined over $200,000 dollars for numerous safety violations that led to one death and one person being hospitalized.

In January, 48-year-old Mary Valentine, a WDFW scientific technician, drowned while working at a fish trap on the Duckabush River in Brinnon.

In February two scientific technicians working at the Nisqually River fish trap near Yelm had their boat capsized. One had to be hospitalized after hitting his head on the trap.

WDFW uses fish traps to track migratory juvenile salmon.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) fined WDFW $114,000 for the Duckabush River incident and $86,400 for the Nisqually River incident.

L&I found that WDFW employees did not receive the necessary safety training needed for their work in outdoor environments.

The incidents were cited as willful violations, which means WDFW knew or should have known the safety requirements but did not follow them.

Penalties paid go into a supplemental pension fund, helping injured workers and families of those who have died on the job.

In March L&I fined WDFW for violations that led to the death of a fisheries biologist who drowned in 2023 while working on the Wind River in Skamania County.

“Employers have the duty to make sure workers recognize the hazards of their job and what they need to do to protect themselves. We hope these investigations help Fish and Wildlife to ensure a culture where all workers are trained to stay safe,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

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