April 28th is Workers’ Memorial Day

Workers’ Memorial Day is observed by individuals and organizations across the globe. Every year, April 28^th is a day of remembrance and action in honor of workers who have been killed, disabled, injured, or made ill by their work. For locals, PhilaPOSH (the Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health) will be hosting its 36^th annual Workers’ Memorial Day program on Friday, April 26^th. PhilaPOSH co-sponsors the event, which is the oldest and largest in the United States, with the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO.

Nobody assumes that going to work will be a death sentence but for thousands of workers each year, it is. Here are some key numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on workplace fatalities that occurred in 2022. This data comes from the agency’s most recent Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:

• There were 5,486 recorded deadly work injuries. This is a 5.7% increase in fatalities from the previous year
• A worker died every 96 minutes from an occupational injury
• Transportation incidents remained the most common type of fatal events to occur in the workplace, comprising 37.7% of occupational fatalities
• Workers between the ages of 55 and 64-years-old incurred 21.4% of total fatalities. Transportation incidents were the top cause of fatalities for this age group, followed by falls, slips, and trips
• Exposure to harmful substances or environments increased by over 5%. Exposure incidents led to the deaths of 839 workers

Additionally, PhilaPOSH’s numbers indicate that another 120,000 workers die from occupational diseases, like respiratory diseases, cancers, and more. To read more information about deadly workplace incidents from the BLS’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, visit: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf.

Honoring This Year’s Workers’ Memorial Day

To commemorate the event, PhilaPOSH and the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO, will be joining family members who lost a loved one to a work-related traumatic injury or disease with attendees, unionists, community activists, and health and safety advocates. According to PhilaPOSH, nearly 600,000 public sector workers in the state are not covered under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). This leaves them at risk of sustaining work-related injuries or illnesses. As part of this year’s Workers’ Memorial Day, PhilaPOSH and the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO will be providing attendees with crucial information regarding House Bill 299 and its companion Senate Bill 93. If the bills successfully pass through the House and Senate, HB 299 and SB 93 will provide comprehensive workplace health and safety standards to public employees who are not currently covered under the Act.

File a Workers’ Compensation Claim

If you or a loved one became ill or were injured at work, someone at our firm can assist you with filing a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides medical benefits and wage replacement to injured workers. At Galfand Berger, we have been representing victims of work-related injuries and illnesses for decades. To learn more about filing a claim, contact a representative online who can help.

Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

If you have questions about filing a claim for injuries you sustained, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.