Tacoma Goodwill will continue its efforts to assure worker safety and exceed state requirements while appealing a Washington State Department of Labor & Industries report. L&I made public yesterday its report on the tragic loss of Goodwill employee Nick Miller in April at our Operations Center in Tacoma.

We were devastated by Nick’s loss and our hearts remain with his family. His death led us to redouble our commitment to exceed safety standards and make our workplace as safe as possible.

It’s been six months since the tragedy but we didn’t wait for L&I to complete its investigation. Immediately after the accident, we re-inspected all of our machinery, hired an outside safety expert to review the facility and safety procedures; and installed safety locks on three machines, including the one involved in the accident.

Goodwill understood its safety and accident prevention program updated and accepted by L&I in 2005, met all the requirements and promoted a safe workplace. Also in 2005, L&I inspected the machinery in the Operations Center and didn’t find any problems.

So we were surprised and disappointed at the results in the L&I report.

L&I’s report cited Goodwill nine times, including two “repeat” citations for our accident prevention program, three for the operation of the machine involved in the accident, two related to our safety committee and two record keeping issues not associated with the accident. L&I also fined us $49,800.

We are appealing because the facts don’t support the findings. What L&I calls “repeat” violations, for example, are completely new. We have never been cited in the past for the safety of our disabled employees.

We will comply fully with L&I’s required actions under law while making the appeal. The fine will be paid using money earned through our stores and business services – no dollars donated to our scholarship program or other efforts will be used.

While we disagree with the findings of the L&I report, we continue to make safety a top priority. Nothing is more important to Goodwill than the safety of our employees.

Although it’s a small consolation, there had not been a lost-time accident at the Operations Center for three years. Goodwill also has 20 percent fewer reportable injuries than the average workplace in Washington state, according to L&I’s figures.

Nick, 27, who worked in Goodwill’s Supported Employment Program for five years, was a highly capable employee and took several busses daily from Sumner to work in Tacoma.

People have asked about supervision for people with developmental disabilities. Such questions often occur because people may not understand the full nature of the independence included as part of Supported Employment.

Supported Employment prepares people with developmental disabilities, many of whom – like Nick – are capable of a variety of tasks, for jobs in the community. In that program, Goodwill is responsible for providing supervision at a ratio of at least one supervisor for each eight persons. Our program continues to provide more supervisors per worker than the state requires.

Goodwill has been certified for more than 30 years by CARF, an independent, international accrediting organization. CARF reviews agencies like Goodwill that serve people with disabilities, reviewing programs, safety and overall operations.
We remain committed to hiring people with disabilities because everyone deserves the opportunity for a full life through work.

Thank you.