National Day of Mourning (Canadian observance)

The National Day of Mourning, or Workers’ Mourning Day is observed in Canada on 28 April. It commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and incidents.

Workers' Memorial Day was started by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in 1984, and the Canadian Labour Congress officially declared it an annual day of remembrance in 1985 on April 28.^[1]

In December 1990, this day became a national observance with the passing of the Workers Mourning Day Act, so that on April 28, 1991, it was officially the National Day of Mourning for persons killed or injured in the workplace; making April 28, an official Workers’ Mourning Day.^[2][3]

Injuries and deaths in the workplace continue to be a matter of important concern across Canada. Many Canadians members work hard each day in an effort to minimize accidents and incidents. Risk is an inherent element of many jobs, and this is why safety is one of our core values. Since its inception, the observance has spread to over 80 countries around the world, but is known is most other countries as the Workers' Memorial Day. The date 28 April was picked because on that day in 1914, the Workers Compensation Act received its third reading. In 2001 the International Labour Organization first observed World Day for Safety and Health at Work on this day. Commemorating those who have been hurt or killed in the workplace shows respect for the fallen, while serving as a reminder of the importance of occupational health and safety.

The Canadian flag is flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all federal government buildings, including on Parliament Hill. Workers and employees observe this day in various ways including lighting candles, donning ribbons and black armbands, and observing a moment of silence at 1100 hrs. The purpose of Day of Mourning is twofold- to remember and honour those lives lost or injured and to renew the commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace - to prevent further deaths, injuries and diseases from work.

Canadian Monuments

Monuments in Canada have been erected and dedicated to workers whose lives have been who have been killed and injured on the job.^[4]

• The Canadian Young Workers Memorial Quilt -The LifeQuilt with individual, personalized quilted blocks commemorated 100 young workers is a memorial dedicated to the thousands of young women and men between the ages of 14 and 24 killed on the job.^[5]
• Canadian Labour Congress Monument, Vincent Massey Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - This monument was dedicated on April 28, 1987, one year after the Canadian Labour Congress had officially established April 28 as the Day of Mourning to workers killed and injured on the job.^[6]
• Falconbridge Mural, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
• Miner's Memorial Kirkland Lake, Ontario Canada
• Rideau Canal Fabric Mural Memorial, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• Fire Fighter's Monument, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
• "Breaking Ground" Hoggs Hollow Memorial, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

International Monuments

Monuments around the World have been erected and dedicated to workers whose lives have been who have been killed and injured on the job.^[7]

• Hoover Dam Monument, Boulder, Colorado, USA
• Airplane and Fishermen Monument, Hedinsfjordur, Iceland
• Workers Memorial Day Stained Glass Window, Birmingham, England

See also

• Labor Day
• Workers' Memorial Day

References

External links

• National Day of Mourning at the Government of Canada
• National Day of Mourning at Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
• Press release from the Industrial Accident Prevention Associate
• World Day for Safety and Health at Work- ILO
• Canadian Injured Workers Society

Occupational safety and health General topics Environment, health and safety Ergonomics Health physics Hospital-acquired infection Indoor air quality Occupational asthma Occupational disease Occupational hygiene Occupational injury Risk management Process safety management Public health Repetitive strain injury Professions Environmental health Industrial engineering Occupational health nursing Occupational health psychology Occupational medicine Occupational therapist Safety engineering Specific disorders Acrodynia Asbestosis Berylliosis BlackBerry thumb Brucellosis Byssinosis ("brown lung") Chalicosis Chimney sweeps' carcinoma Chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy (CSE) Coalworker's pneumoconiosis ("black lung") Concussions in sport De Quervain syndrome Exposure to human nail dust Farmer's lung Fiddler's neck Glassblower's cataract Golfer's elbow Laboratory animal allergy Lead poisoning Mad hatter disease Mesothelioma Metal fume fever Mule spinners' cancer Noise-induced hearing loss Phossy jaw Pneumoconiosis Radium jaw Silicosis Silo-filler's disease Surfer's ear Tennis elbow Tinnitus Writer's cramp Organizations European Agency for Safety and Health at Work Health and Safety Executive International Labour Organization Occupational Safety and Health Administration World Health Organization Standards Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 OHSAS 18001 Worker Protection Standard (US) Working Environment Convention, 1977 See also Bangladesh Accord Environmental toxicology International Chemical Safety Card Material safety data sheet (MSDS) Sports injuries Toxic tort Workers compensation National Day of Mourning (Canadian observance) Category Occupational diseases Commons Journals Organizations