A national day of remembrance established in 1989 to commemorate workers who have been killed or injured on the job.
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April 28, 2000 marks the observance of Workers’ Memorial Day, a national day of remembrance established in 1989 to commemorate workers who have been killed or injured on the job.
In 1999, approximately 166 people died in Missouri workplaces and at least 150,000 were injured. The most common causes of workplace deaths were motor vehicle accidents, homicide/suicide, being struck by a moving or falling object, falls and electrocutions. Deaths occurred most frequently among truck drivers, farmers, construction workers, retail store clerks or managers and laborers.
April 28 was designated as Workers’ Memorial Day because it marks the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Canada also has a similar remembrance on April 28. Every year hundreds of communities and worksites recognize workers who have been killed or injured on the job.
On April 26 a commemorative ceremony will take place in the Capitol Rotunda at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony is a joint effort of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Divisions of Labor Standards and Workers’ Compensation, along with the Missouri Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health and Communicable Disease Prevention.
“While the Department recognizes that unfortunate things happen in the workplace, it is committed to the establishment and maintenance of safe and healthy workplaces. Statistics have shown that when workplaces are safe, productivity increases, workers compensation claims decrease and morale improves,” said Thomas J. Pfeiffer, acting director.
The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations works towards these goals through the Divisions of Labor Standards and Workers’ Compensation. These agencies devote countless man-hours to assisting Missouri employers with their workplace safety and health needs.