Director's statement
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) met with Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for a closing conference on July 8. The agencies identified safety violations related to the Duckabush River incident in January 2024.
Later this month, L&I delivered the final Duckabush River citation to WDFW, and the agency is required to make corrections within 30 days.
The findings of the Duckabush River L&I citation require WDFW to pay a $114,000 penalty to L&I within 15 days and correct the following by Aug. 21, 2024:
- Develop, supervise and implement safety programs and provide training records for personnel working on water and with the public
- Develop a formal, written accident prevention program for all water-based work activities
- Ensure staff are wearing U.S. Coast Guard commercially-rated personal flotation devices and know how to wear and inspect them
- Ensure slings, fish traps, wire ropes, and wire rope thimbles are inspected and installed properly before use.
“We have been working diligently over the past seven months to update our safety protocols for all staff,” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “Of these violations, we have corrected seven, and we are working quickly to correct the remaining two. Our safety vision is that every staff member has the equipment and training to mitigate the risks inherent to their jobs.”
The full citation is available on L&I’s website.
More information on the incident on the Duckabush River in Jefferson County, January 2024: Duckabush River, Jefferson County Incident | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Media contact: communications@dfw.wa.gov