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Hastings Park ceremony honours workers who died in 2007
Richmond, B.C., April 28, 2008 — Today, Day of Mourning ceremonies are being held across BC to remember the 139 men and women who lost their lives and the more than 135,000 injured in 2007 as a result of workplace injury, illness or disease.
Since 1994, the Day of Mourning has been recognized across Canada. Each year in BC, the BC Federation of Labour, the Business Council of BC and WorkSafeBC partner in a commemorative ceremony at 10:00 am at the Workers’ Memorial Sanctuary in Hastings Park.
“Death, injury or illness as a result of working is unacceptable because it is preventable in virtually every case,” said Dave Anderson, WorkSafeBC’s President and CEO. “All of us – employers, workers and WorkSafeBC – must make prevention a priority every day.”
For the first time, in 2007, occupational diseases, mainly from asbestos exposures, accounted for more than half of the accepted fatal claims – 71 of 139 claims. This is also the largest number of occupational disease claims ever accepted by WorkSafeBC in a one year period. At the same time, 68 is the smallest number of traumatic fatalities to occur in a one-year period since 1980.
“It is vital that we all take responsibility for workplace safety,” said Olga Ilich, Minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services. “Whether we are employees or employers, we must insist on safety training and compliance, and work together to ensure that our work sites are accident-free. One workplace injury or death is one too many.”
Speaking on behalf of the Business Council of BC, where he is an Executive Member of the Board of Governors, Steve Frasher, President of Washington Marine, said, “Washington Marine’s commitment to safety extends from the Boardroom to the dock. Our corporate experience has been that the prevention of injuries on our worksite has led to better morale and a more confident workforce.”
In 2007, WorkSafeBC accepted more than 135,000 claims which accounted for more than 2.8 million days lost from work. The average length of a short-term wage-loss claim was 46.3 days.
Jackie Woodley, a Health Employees Union member, speaking for the BC Federation of Labour, spoke of her experience as a joint health and safety committee member and as a person who works in schools to train young workers. She said, “Last year six young workers died on the job. Employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace and we need to ensure that young workers know and understand their right to refuse unsafe work.”
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors that serves nearly 2.3 million workers and about 197,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born out of a compromise between B.C.'s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. The organization is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits to workers injured as a result of their employment.
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| Gladys Johnsen |
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