This Sunday, April 28th, is The National Day of Mourning. This day is dedicated to remembering those who have lost their lives, or suffered injury or illness, due to a work-related tragedy.
Workplace injuries and deaths affect us all. The National Day of Mourning is a day to remember those that have lost their lives and to renew our commitment to improve workplace safety and prevent further workplace tragedies.
Why April 28th?
April 28th was chosen as the National Day of Mourning in 1984 because it coincided with the 70th anniversary of the day the first Ontario Workers Compensation Act was approved by the government.
The Canadian Statistics (as of 2016):
- 905 workplace deaths
- 6 of those deaths were young workers ages 15-19
- 20 were individuals ages 20-24
- 241,508 reported workplace injuries
- 29,588 of those injuries were young workers aged 15-24
These numbers don’t include the countless lives that are affected by workplace tragedies.
How can we honour the fallen workers on Sunday? You can participate by:
- Wearing black and yellow ribbons
- Taking a moment of silence at 11:00AM
- Lighting candles
- Sharing stories about how workplace tragedies have touch people’s lives
- Participate in a public event (Find a full list of events here)
- Taking additional steps to ensure the safety of yourself and your co-workers
For more information on the National Day of Mourning please visit the websites below:
Sources:
https://www.ccohs.ca/events/mourning/
http://www.wsibdayofmourning.ca/