WSDOT's Worker Memorial Pays Tribute to the Fallen

AGC joined WSDOT in paying tribute to workers who have lost their lives on highway projects during the 2011 Worker Memorial on March 22. It was a somber remembrance for those lost but also an opportunity to honor their memory and look toward a future when every employee makes it home safe each day.

The memorial at the WSDOT HQ Building in Olympia featured family friends and colleagues sharing their stories of those fallen. The event paid a special tribute to Billy “Bud” Rhynalds a 12-year veteran of the WSDOT maintenance team out of Preston. Co-workers raised a plaque that will hang in the WSDOT HQ Building.

Betty Rhynalds spoke about her husband’s work ethic and his love of keeping the roadways clear of snow and ice. She said she knows his sprit will be out helping whoever takes over his route. Rhynalds was killed by a falling tree on Highway 203 south of Carnation in January 2011.

In her remarks AGC’s Safety Director Mandi Kime said “We have an obligation to those that we have lost through the years to learn from their loss and use that knowledge to prevent further injuries and deaths. Employers in construction take safety very seriously and the statistics are showing vast improvements in construction worker safety over the course of the last few years. A reduction in fatalities by 61 percent in three years is great. But times like this remind us that the rest of the story is; workers didn’t make it home to their families last year. We can and must do better.”

For more information including links to photos and a video of the event click Worker Memorial.