In 2006, eight workers lost their lives in New Brunswick. That’s eight families whose lives will forever be changed, marred by tragedy. “Because we believe injuries are no accident, it’s all the more tragic when you know these deaths could have been prevented,” said chair Roberta Dugas of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission’s (WHSCC) board of directors.
And while these eight workers were killed on the job last year, many more were injured or became ill. “To remember these workers, we ask each and every New Brunswicker to mark the National Day of Mourning. Observe a moment of silence, wear a black ribbon or lapel pin, attend remembrance ceremonies, or lower flags to half-mast,” said Doug Stanley, WHSCC president and CEO.
The National Day of Mourning is typically observed April 28. This year, most workplaces will commemorate the day on Friday, April 27. The date of April 28 was chosen as the day of remembrance because it was the day the third reading took place for the first comprehensive Workers’ Compensation Act (Ontario 1914) in Canada. The first Day of Mourning was observed 23 years ago by the Canadian Labour Congress; it is now observed in more than 100 countries worldwide.
In partnership with the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, the WHSCC has produced a Day of Mourning Poster, which has been distributed to workplaces across the province.
For more information on Day of Mourning activities, visit the WHSCC website at www.whscc.nb.ca