No one leaves home for work knowing their life is about to change forever in a catastrophic or deadly accident on the job. Workplace accidents often happen within seconds, leaving a worker victim suffering severe bodily injuries that may prove fatal or disabling. Loved ones suffer harm too; they are devastated, shocked, and overwhelmed with grief.
Honoring these workers, their families and friends, is important. While their pain cannot be erased, it is hoped that bringing recognition and respect to these accident victims may help.
That is the hope in Workers’ Memorial Week, where there will be assemblies all across the country and around the world to remember those who have been injured or killed on the job.
Family members, workers, labor unions, and advocates will gather in Washington, D.C., and communities across the country to honor and remember fallen and injured workers on Workers’ Memorial Day. Other commemorations are scheduled throughout this week.
Employers are encouraged to take part, with online resources at the ready to help companies plan and organize their individual events.
History of Workers’ Memorial Recognition
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”), the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (“AFL-CIO”) established Workers Memorial Day on April 28, 1970, as a way to “…recognize workers who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work. It also encourages us to think of ways in which we all can help to achieve the goal of safer and healthier workplaces.”
April 28th is recognized around the world as a day to stop and remember those who have lost their lives on the job. Different organizations will focus upon different workplace hazards and dangers in contribution, and the recognition has expanded to the entire week.
Among this year’s recognitions will be the release of the “2023 Dirty Dozen List” by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (“NCOSH”).
2023 Dirty Dozen List Released by NCOSH for Workers’ Memorial Week
Each year, the twelve employers considered the most notorious in failing to protect workers from harm on the job are spotlighted in the NCOSH “Dirty Dozen List.” This year, these companies are (quoting from the release):
- Amazon: Multiple deaths at Amazon warehouses in 2022, and citations at seven locations for work practices that “cause serious injuries.”
- FedEx: Three workers die at the shipping giant’s Memphis hub in 2022. Injuries and fatalities on the rise company-wide.
- Hanover Company, Lithko Contracting, Friends Masonry Construction: Three Latino construction workers die when scaffolding collapses on a Hanover project. Lithko Contracting cited nine times by OSHA, including one citation (now deleted) for a scaffolding violation.
- Norfolk Southern and Class One Freight Railroads: BNSF, CSX, Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific, Canadian National Railway: Rail workers warn of safety problems long before the catastrophic derailment in Ohio. “Precision Scheduled Railroading” (PSR) cuts staff, reduces time for safety inspections and puts extra-long trains on the nation’s railways.
- Occidental Chemical, Westlake Chemical: Olin Corp., a major manufacturer, has endorsed an EPA ban on asbestos; other chemical companies are still fighting this safety proposal, despite 40,000 U.S. deaths a year.
- Packer Sanitation Service Inc. (PSSI), JBS Foods, Cargill, Tyson: More than 100 children found working illegally in dangerous meat and poultry plants; 85% of them were working at JBS, Cargill or Tyson.
- Sonoma WISE: Despite opposition from growers using astroturf tactics, California farmworkers win significant victories to counter extreme weather hazards caused by climate change.
- Swissport International AG Companies: Workers exposed to raw feces and other unsafe conditions; company cited 35 times by OSHA for safety violations since 2013.
- Tenet Healthcare Corporation: Tenet staff say their employer cuts corners on safety. Since 2001, the company has paid over $1.8 billion in fines for false claims, bribery and kickbacks, health and safety and other violations.
- Tesla, Inc: A construction worker dies in 98-degree heat at Tesla’s gigafactory in Austin. Worker testimony shows contractors pass out fake certificates instead of providing real safety training.
- Trulieve Cannabis Corp: Truelieve worker dies from an asthma attack after inhaling cannabis dust. Company cited seven times by OSHA for safety violations.
- Twin Peaks Restaurant: So-called “breastaurant” chain has faced multiple claims of sexual harassment. Workers in Tennessee went on strike in January to protest physical and verbal abuse.
From NCOSH Co-Executive Director Jessica E. Martinez, MPH:
“The rate of U.S. workplace fatalities from sudden trauma is on the rise, and so is the rate of workplace injuries and illnesses. So it’s more important than ever that employers meet their legal and ethical responsibility to provide a safe workplace.…
“We are highlighting companies where it’s clear that more can be done to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities. The path forward is to empower workers as real partners in workplace safety, because workers know where the hazards are and how to eliminate them.”
Worker Memorial Ceremonies
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) will host a ceremony in Washington, D.C., which can be attended virtually on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. (details here).
Other events are planned around the country by various governmental agencies as well as labor unions and safety agencies. Those reported by OSHA for the State of Illinois, for example, include:
- Workers Memorial Commemoration on April 26, 2023, at St. Agnes of Bohemia Catholic Church, 2651 S. Central Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60623 at 3:30 p.m., hosted by Chicago Job With Justice (JWJ), Padres Angeles, Chicago Workers Collaborative and University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health;
- Arise Chicago Workers Memorial Service on April 28, 2023, at Arise Chicago, 1700 W. Hubbard, Suite 2E, Chicago, IL 60622, at 8:30 a.m., hosted by Arise Chicago;
- Workers Memorial Day, on April 28, 2023, at Joliet Junior College Event Center, 1215 Houbolt Road, Joliet, IL 60431, Room EC2001, at 10:00 a.m., hosted by Three Rivers Manufacturers’ Association and Joliet Junior College;
- Greater Madison County Federation of Labor’s Workers Memorial on April 28, 2023, at Gordon Moore Park Worker Memorial Site, 4550 College Avenue, Alton, IL 62002, at 7:00 p.m., hosted by Greater Madison County Federation of Labor.
The OSHA Virtual Fallen Worker Wall
OSHA has created an online “Workers Memorial Wall” in recognition of workers who have perished in an on-the-job accident. Anyone who wishes to include a family member in this honoring of fallen workers who have perished because of a work-related accident, illness, or disease, can do so by providing information and a photograph at remembrance@dol.gov.
Honoring Workers Who Have Died in a Workplace Accident
This week, as advocates dedicated to pursuing justice for worker victims of serious or deadly workplace accidents – and their loved ones – we are encouraged by the efforts being made locally and across the country to recognize and honor those who have suffered or died as the result of an on-the-job injury.
As the Dirty Dozen List release reminds us, all too often these tragedies are preventable accidents that have happened because of companies that choose to put profits over people and to disrespect worker safety as a primary concern on every job site.
Worker safety hazards are known, and how to prevent work accidents is not a mystery. Nevertheless, according to statistics compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one worker dies every 101 minutes from an occupational injury in this country. The number of fatal work injuries jumped 8.9% in the last reporting year (2021), and the fatal injury rate for American workers is the highest it has been since 2016.
This week, let us all stop for a moment to remember and recognize the untimely deaths of workers here in Indiana and Illinois, as well as workers who have thankfully survived a work accident but face a lifetime of challenges due to catastrophic injuries or disabilities. Let us remember the pain and suffering and tremendous courage of their loved ones, too.
We honor you.
Prayers for Workers’ Memorial Day have been offered online for sharing by NCOSH here.
Workers in Illinois and Indiana face some of the most dangerous workplaces in the country. They depend upon employers and others with a legal duty of care to keep them safe on the job. It is heart wrenching to know that this reliance can be misplaced with tragic results. Please be careful out there!
