Why do we mourn on April 28th? Because no one should ever go to work and not return home.
On December 22nd, 2020 a building under construction in London, Ontario collapsed. Two men died, and four more were seriously injured. One of the survivors remained in hospital for over a month recovering from serious injuries.
A worker lost his arm in Ilderton, Ontario when a concrete culvert fell on him in August of 2017. He has a wife and four children.
During the summer of 2013, a crew of workers set out to put up a tent for a wedding. One of the tent poles came into contact with an electrical wire, resulting in the death of one young man, and serious injuries to three others.
Not one of the workers described above left for work thinking they wouldn’t return home at the end of the day. When there is a fatality at work, the unexpected loss of life is immeasurable. There is also a great cost to each survivor and their friends and family in the wake of a serious workplace injury.
BEST Safety Training recognizes the Day of Mourning on April 28th each year as a way to commemorate those killed or injured at work.
The Steep Personal Cost of Workplace Injuries
A serious workplace injury can have a serious impact on the worker, their spouse, other family members, their children, their friends, and various other relationships.
Learning a New Trade
Injured workers may be unable to physically or mentally perform their old jobs after they recover from a workplace injury. Some injured workers feel they’re having to give up the piece of their identity that they associated with their work. That cost alone is significant, but when you also factor in the cost for training, materials, tuition, testing, and licensing, the overall cost associated with the injury grows exponentially.
Medical Costs
WSIB covers most medical costs for workers involved in workplace accidents. However, there are limits to what WSIB can cover, and workers may have to handle some of the costs associated with medical care or equipment.
Family Stressors
Workplace injuries impact the friends and family of injured workers. When the worker in Ilderton lost his arm, his wife worried about the financial future of her family and how she would continue to look after their four children. On top of financial concerns, family members worry about how life will look in the aftermath of the injury, especially if care or assistance will be required. Because the cost to mental health is so high, some workers also undergo personality changes, which can add increased stress and anguish to already strained family relations.
Read about how families are affected by workplace injuries
BEST Safety Training Recognizes the Day of Mourning
Please join us on April 28th, 2021 as we mourn and remember all of the workers who have been killed or injured at work. We also honour the family, friends, and others impacted by workplace tragedies.
On April 28th, BEST Safety Training also renews its promise to continue to offer health and safety training solutions with an aim to save lives and keep workers safe. We believe that all workers should return home at the end of each day and into the waiting arms of their loved ones. That’s why, on April 28th, and every day of the year, we resolve to support workers and organizations in their quest for workplace safety and worker wellbeing.
The best way to prevent workplace injuries and fatalities is with education and information.
BEST Safety Training’s priority is your safety. Contact us today to learn more or call 226.777.7385. Visit us 24/7 on the web at BESTsafetytraining.ca.