HAMILTON, ON - April 24, 2007 - April 28th is National Day of Mourning in Canada. This is a day set aside to honour those workers across the country whose lives have been lost, who have been injured or disabled on the job, or suffer from occupational diseases.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) reminds employees and employers that the Day of Mourning offers them an opportunity to not only remember, but to publicly renew their commitment to improve health and safety in the workplace.
In 2005 1,097* workplace deaths were recorded in Canada - up from 928 deaths the previous year. This 18% increase was driven mostly by the rise in fatality rate from occupational disease, which accounted for 50.8% of all fatalities. Asbestos-related deaths make up more than half of this number - as well as almost a third of all workplace fatalities.
"Knowing that these injuries and fatalities are preventable makes any workplace death unacceptable," said Len Hong, President and CEO of CCOHS. "It is alarming that the number of workplace fatalities in this country is increasing, and it serves as a sombre reminder that we all have much to do to ensure that people can be safe and healthy at work. The National Day of Mourning is not only a day to remember workplace tragedies - it is also a call to protect the living."
To help promote awareness in the workplace of this important day, CCOHS has designed a new, moving bilingual poster and made it available free of charge. The poster can be previewed on the CCOHS website and a FREE poster can be requested by contacting CCOHS Client Services at 1-800-668-4284.
The CCOHS website has more information about the National Day of Mourning.
* Data collected by the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Eleanor Westwood, Manager of Communications
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
(905) 572-2981, Ext. 4408 Email: eleanorw@ccohs.ca
Please visit www.ccohs-cchst.ca
About CCOHS
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), formed in 1978, is a Canadian federal government agency based in Hamilton, Ontario. CCOHS provides Canadians with unbiased, relevant information, training and advice that supports responsible decision-making and promotes safe and healthy workplaces. CCOHS makes a wide range of occupational health and safety information readily available, in language that is appropriate for all users, from the general public to the health and safety professional. Internationally, the Centre is renowned as an innovative, authoritative occupational health and safety resource. CCOHS partners and collaborates with agencies and organizations from Canada and around the world to improve the quality and quantity of resources and programs, as well as expand the breadth of usage of occupational health information to many different segments of society.
