It is April, and this year’s National Day of Mourning ceremony will take place on April 28 to honour those who have been killed and injured on the job.
The local ceremony will be at the District of Fort St. James Office at 11 a.m. on April 28.
Each year, WorkSafe BC marks the day to draw attention to preventable workplace incidents and honour workers injured or killed. The District of Fort St. James hosts a ceremony at their office, with industry representatives and WorkSafe representatives.
In 2013 128 workers in B.C. were fatally injured on the job, 67 deaths were a result of exposure to asbestos decades ago.
One of the 167 deaths was in the Bulkley-Nechako Region.
By industry, 28 deaths were in general construction, eight were in forestry, four were in oil and gas or mineral resources and 16 were in metal and non-metallic products industry.
In B.C., an average of three work-related deaths are accepted each week and 21 long-term disability claims are accepted every working day.
One way employers can help protect employees and their businesses from the losses associated with injuries, disability claims or worse is the Certificate of Recognition (COR) Program through WorkSafe BC.
The program offers financial incentives in the form of rebates back from Work Safe premiums paid over the year.
Employers need to develop guidelines and policies to help prevent injuries and ensure all employees are properly trained and prepared in case of emergency and all incidents are documented.
Each industry is evaluated through a certified organization and once certified, businesses can not only get up to 15 per cent of their premiums back, but they can also get priority on bid competitions and publicly promote their certification as a WorkSafe COR business.