History of the Governor’s Industrial Safety & Health Advisory Board

Following World War II, it was realized that there were nearly as many Americans killed in the defense industries as were killed on the battlefields.  In 1949 President Harry Truman called a conference of governors in Washington, DC. He urged all the governors to sponsor state conferences to educate the workforce in accident prevention in an attempt to reduce injuries and fatalities. Governor Langlie returned to Washington and kicked off what would become the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference.  The first conferences focused on the high-risk industries and traffic safety.

The Governor’s Industrial Safety & Health Advisory Board was created in 1951 to provide a means for representatives from various industries to contribute and serve as advisors regarding safe workplaces. The Board is made up of Management and Labor representatives from 17 industries and are supported by staff from the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries.

This demonstrates management, labor and government working together on the shared commitment to safe and healthy workplaces. Board members lead industry planning committees, which are usually comprised of half management and half labor representatives. These are statewide committees, who meet throughout the year to plan the various conferences and events.  

The Board was incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit in 1979 to more effectively manage the logistics of presenting an annual conference. Today, the board’s outreach has grown beyond the annual conference to include Agriculture Safety Day, Construction Safety Day and Maritime Safety Day.