Today is both Workers’ Memorial Day (U.S.) and World Day for Safety and Health at Work (global). A day dedicated to remembering those who have lost their lives in the workplace, and a day dedicated to the importance of preventing accidents and illnesses at work. Today also takes on special meaning due to the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis and the effect it’s had on our workplaces.
In honor of these events, the BCSP Foundation is hosting its second annual Virtual Career Fair in an effort to connect employers with safety practitioners who have proven they have the knowledge and skills to keep workers safe. This is a unique and valuable opportunity for top employers to interact with and recruit BCSP credentialed candidates and for prospective employees to interact with employers and interview for exciting positions!
Please join us in raising awareness for these days and join us for the Virtual Career Fair. Education and awareness are the keys to the prevention of incidents and illness in the workplace!
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
The International Labour Organization (ILO) officially recognized World Day in 2001, becoming an official United Nations day a year later.
Each World Day has a specific theme that the ILO focuses on. This year’s focus is the investment in resilient SH&E systems in order to anticipate, prepare, and respond to workplace crises like COVID-19. The pandemic has affected every workplace in every industry across the globe. It has forced us to find new ways to mitigate workplace hazards and shift our workplace arrangements.
BCSP and the ILO emphasize the importance of raising awareness and stimulating dialogue in creating systems that will mitigate and prevent the spread of crises like COVID-19 in the workplace.
More information about World Day can be found here.
Workers’ Memorial Day
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that each year, nearly two million people die due to job-related accidents and illnesses. Workers’ Memorial Day began as a way to honor and remember those who perished while working, as well as serve as a reminder to all that safety in the workplace is important and accidents are preventable.
Started in 1970 by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Workers’ Memorial Day was declared in the U.S. to honor the millions of people killed and injured on the job each year. A year later to the day, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was formed.
Workers’ Memorial Day has since expanded worldwide and is recognized as an international day of remembrance. Events are held throughout the world and workplaces are encouraged to raise awareness for employee safety.