Seventeen workplace heroes will be honored Wednesday, Sept. 28, during the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma for their life-saving efforts.

The Lifesaving Awards will be presented during the opening ceremony of the conference and will be live-streamed on L&I's Facebook page.

"No one wakes up in the morning thinking, ‘Today's the day I will save a life,' said Craig Blackwood, assistant director of L&I's Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

"When faced with a life-threatening situation, these ordinary people took extraordinary measures to rescue their co-workers and, in some cases, complete strangers. I'm inspired by their stories and thrilled to be honoring these workers," he said.

In each case, the award winners acted quickly, decisively and compassionately to identify someone in jeopardy, assess the situation, take action and call in emergency aid when needed.

Among the award winners this year are: three workers who helped put out a van fire along a highway and save the occupants; two public utility workers who rescued a person stranded, exhausted, and freezing in the snow; a counselor who administered Narcan to save a youth home resident who overdosed; and several workers who performed CPR or used an automated external defibrillator to save lives.

Recipients of the Lifesaving Award are selected by a committee made up of business and labor representatives.

To be eligible for this year's Lifesaving Award, the heroic act must have occurred during work hours between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022 and the nominee must have performed hands-on aid.

The Safety and Health Conference, sponsored by the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), includes safety demonstrations and workshops featuring the latest workplace safety and health technologies, innovations and strategies, along with special events like the Poletop Rescue Competition.

The Lifesaving Awards will be presented during the opening ceremony of the conference at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center beginning at 9:30 a.m.