April 28th is a very important day. It is the day we commemorate workers whose lives have been lost or injured in the workplace. This National Day of Mourning, held annually on April 28, was officially recognized by the federal government in 1991, though its beginning was launched eight years earlier by the Canadian Labour Congress.
Today the Day of Mourning has since spread to more than 100 countries around the world and is recognized as Workers’ Memorial Day, and as International Workers' Memorial Day by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
As is the custom on all National Days of Mourning, the Canadian Flag on Parliament Hill will fly at half-mast. Throughout the country, workers will light candles, don ribbons and black armbands and observe moments of silence.
Please participate and strive throughout the year to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.
According to the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), in 2022, there were 993 workplace fatalities recorded in Canada, 1,009 of which were male workers, and 72 were female workers. Among these deaths were 33 young workers aged 15-24.
Add to these fatalities the 348,747 accepted claims (an increase of 71,530 from the previous year) for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease, including 40,203 from workers aged 15-24, and the fact that these statistics only include what is reported and accepted by the compensation boards, there is no doubt that the total number of workers impacted is even greater.
And it’s not just these numbers on which we need to reflect. With each worker tragedy there are loved ones, family members, friends and co-workers who are directly affected, left behind, and deeply impacted – their lives also forever changed.
Every day workers leave their home and their family expecting to see them later that same day. They do not leave home expecting to die.
The international symbol for Health and Safety is “THE CANARY IN THE CAGE” and people have asked what that represents. In the 19th century, miners would take a caged canary into the mines with them. Canaries are more sensitive to airborne hazards and the absence of oxygen than people. If the canaries were overcome by hazards, it was a sign to evacuate the mine fast.
Unfortunately, as the numbers indicate, humans have now become the canaries in the workplace and we must recognize that when every single day in Canada almost three people die at work. Something must be done. Remember the slogan:
“Mourn The Dead, Fight For The Living”
It is as much a day to remember the dead as it is a call to protect the living.
It’s your life. Don't leave work without it.
Doug Gaetz
Chair, Health and Safety Committee
* Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety https://www.ccohs.ca/events/mourning/