SWANA recognizes Workers’ Memorial Day

Workers’ Memorial Day in the U.S. and the National Day of Mourning in Canada remember workers who died on the job.

Friday, April 28, 2017, The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, will recognize the National Day of Mourning in Canada and Workers’ Memorial Day in the U.S.

Both the National Day of Mourning and Workers’ Memorial Day are parts of an international effort April 28 to remember those lost on the job and to recognize the importance of worker health and safety around the world.

In 2015, Canada recorded 852 workplace deaths and the U.S. had 4,836. Along with these tragic fatalities, both countries reported hundreds of thousands of injuries and illnesses on the job.

SWANA and its more than 8,500 solid waste professionals in North America will use this Friday to honor the men and women whose lives were lost and to educate workers on keeping themselves and others out of harm’s way.

"An alarming number of solid waste workers are killed each year on the route, at the landfill, in the MRF or at the transfer station,” says David Biderman, SWANA executive director and CEO. “It is important for all of us to pause and reflect on the industry's safety record on this day, and commit to changing the safety culture of the waste industry. Nothing we do at SWANA is more important than making sure the hard working men and women who labor in this great industry go home to their families safely at the end of each day."

Refuse and recyclable materials collection remains the fifth most dangerous job in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This continues an upward trend since 2012, with collection jobs being more dangerous than law enforcement, firefighters or emergency medical services providers.

SWANA says it will continue its safety efforts in the solid waste industry through the Slow Down to Get Around initiative, its chapter-based Safety Ambassador program and a variety of safety and compliance training workshops and webinars.

“SWANA’s safety program is providing an opportunity to share the best in safety practices regardless of the size of your operation,” says Andrea Trask, Atlantic Canada Chapter safety ambassador. “Some initiatives are small, such as weekly emails, which are easily shared to all in the industry. Even these small acts, when shared, can transform a culture to one where safety is at the forefront.”

To learn more about Canada’s National Day of Mourning, visit ccohs.ca/events/mourning.

To learn more about the U.S. Workers’ Memorial Day, visit osha.gov/workersmemorialday.

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