Every year, on April 28th, we honour the memory of Canadian workers who have lost their lives due to work-related injuries and occupational diseases. The annual Day of Mourning is an opportunity to remember those fallen workers and to re-commit to creating safer workplaces. In 2010, 143 B.C. workers lost their lives due to workplace injury and disease.
In B.C., an average of:
· Three (3) workers die each week – an average of 156 workers every year
· More than 2,600 work-related injuries are reported every week
· (17) workers are permanently disabled every working day
In 2010, 95,663 short-term disability, long-term disability, health-care only, and fatal claims were accepted by WorkSafeBC. This resulted in 2,816,989 days lost as a result of workplace injury, illness, or disease.
It takes commitment and dedication to make sure we all go home safe at the end of the day. The next time you see an unsafe situation, don’t ignore it or consider it someone else’s problem. Report any hazards to your supervisor or manager. Follow established safe work practices/procedures, and make sure your ability to work safely is not affected by alcohol or drugs.
You’re a professional. Safety is part of everything you do.
Have a safe day.
Robert Ingraham
Director
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
Eagle West Cranes Inc.
