Far too many workers don’t return home to their families at the end of the workday. Others do, but with debilitating physical and mental injuries and illness.

On April 28, workers, their families, labour councils, unions and community partners will gather at events across Ontario to remember all of these workers and recommit to what matters most — worker well being. Will you and yours be among them? Need to find an event near you? Checkout our updated province-wide listing.

Also, consider joining the conversation in an important April 28, OHCOW (Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers) webinar, scheduled from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Panelists and participants will explore the disproportionate toll front-line workers have suffered since the beginning of the pandemic. 

“April 28 galvanizes our health and safety prevention efforts and reminds us to stay focused on our collective priorities," says Andrew Mudge, WHSC executive director. "When we educate, strategize and act for worker well being we can accomplish so much. Working together, we can help workers not only survive, but thrive."

As we observe this Day of Mourning, let’s recognize the true costs of inaction:

• The official record does not reflect the epidemic of worker suffering.
• Research tells us most suffering is never reported to or recognized by the WSIB.
• Thousands (not hundreds) of Ontario workers are killed by workplace hazards.
• Hundreds (not tens) of thousands are injured or made ill by Ontario workplace hazards too.

Let’s draw strength from our hard-won accomplishments, among them:

• Provincial AND federal health and safety laws
• Worker health and safety rights AND employer responsibilities
• Sustained funding for worker health and safety organizations
• Enforceable JHSC certification and working at heights training standards
• Growing awareness of the links between worker, public and ecological health.

Let’s refocus on the necessary work before us, including:

• Work environments that promote worker mental health
• Indoor air quality standards to prevent respiratory illness and more
• Regulatory tools and resources to eradicate workplace violence
• Mandatory training standards, including high quality WHMIS training
• Meaningful worker participation in workplace health and safety programs
• Full implementation of Coroner’s Inquest recommendations all too often ignored
• Proactive health and safety enforcement, meeting the spirit and not just the letter of the law.

The Workers Health & Safety Centre can help. We are Ontario’s only government-designated, labour-endorsed health and safety training centre. This spring we offer a full roster of scheduled health and safety training programs including ones for joint health and safety committees, supervisors and workers, and training designed to help prevent a host of occupational hazards, such as workplace violence and harassment, psychosocial hazards, indoor air and working at heights. We are also offering a 60 per cent discount for all our workplace mental health training programs. Just enter the discount code EB2023 when completing your purchase.

The Workers Health & Safety Centre: Training for What Matters Most.