In 2004, more than 11,000 New Brunswick workers were injured on the job, eight of them fatally. Still others suffered occupational disease. “On April 28, the National Day of Mourning, we ask New Brunswickers to remember those workers who lost limb or life or became ill at their workplace. And in addition to honouring those workers, we ask all New Brunswick employers and workers to renew their commitment to workplace safety,” says Robert Scott, Chairperson of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC). “Because a commitment to safety is a commitment for life.”
The National Day of Mourning was first observed in Canada in 1984. April 28 was chosen as the day of remembrance because it was the day the third reading took place for the first comprehensive Worker’s Compensation Act (Ontario 1914) in Canada. Today, the Day of Mourning is observed in more than 100 countries worldwide.
“The Day of Mourning represents a call to action – to protect the memory of those killed or injured through workplace accidents or disease, and to protect all those other workers spared the tragedy,” says Doug Stanley, president and CEO of the WHSCC. “The WHSCC responds to this call each and every day, by providing comprehensive accident prevention programs and enforcing the Occupational Health and Safety Act.”
The WHSCC encourages everyone to find a significant way to mark this important day. On April 28, wear a black ribbon (available in many workplaces); take part in flag lowering at your workplace; or attend ceremonies being held at various locations around the province. Pay tribute to those present and those lost in New Brunswick workplaces with a moment’s silence.
As in previous years, the WHSCC, in partnership with the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, has produced a Day of Mourning Poster, which have been distributed to workplaces throughout New Brunswick. This year’s message is “A Death in the Workplace Touches All of Us.” To view the poster, or for more information on Day of Mourning activities, visit the WHSCC website at www.whscc.nb.ca.