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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-8211
Every day in the United States, 17 workers go to work and never return
home. On Worker Memorial Day, we remember those who have died on the job --
workers whose days began as any others, but ended in tragedy. We offer our
heartfelt sympathy to their families and friends.
We must never forget the deadly cost of workplace hazards--a cost
suffered each year by more than 6,000 families who have lost a breadwinner, a
father, a mother. We join them in honoring the memory of their loved ones.
Worker Memorial Day is a time for those of us at the Labor Department to
rededicate ourselves to protecting the lives of those in the workplace. We want
every worker to go home whole and healthy every day. We promise to do our
utmost toward that end.
That means developing protective standards, fielding a strong
enforcement program and becoming partners with employers who establish
effective safety and health programs. It also means strengthening our
whistleblower laws so that no worker fails to speak up about hazards for fear
of losing his or her job.
We call upon on employers to fully shoulder their responsibilities for
workplace safety and health. This is the right thing to do--and it is the
profitable thing to do. For every dollar they invest in safety and health, they
can reap $4 to $6 in return.
Yet only about 30 percent of U.S. employers have workplace safety and
health programs in place. Even fewer have addressed such serious issues as
ergonomics. If we are going to prevent deaths and serious injuries, more
employers must make workplace safety and health a top priority.
Since OSHA was created in 1970, workplace fatalities have been cut in
half. But even one life lost is too many. To those who have died on the job, we
say, "You are not forgotten. We remember you and mourn your loss."
To working men and women, we say, "Your lives are important. We pledge
to protect you. We promise to keep pressing for effective safety and health
measures to prevent injury and preserve life. We will do all in our power to
send you home whole and health today--and every day.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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