Workers killed on the job honored during National Day of Mourning

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More than 50 Calgarians gathered in front of City Hall on Sunday to honor the lives of workers killed or injured on the job.

The event, held on the National Day of Mourning, is one of several of its kind that took place across Canada.

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Calgary and District Labor Council president Alex Shevalier said the event is “very important” for workers.

“Last year, 165 people died because of work, either from car accidents or occupational diseases,” he said.

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At the event, the names of the workers lost in 2023 were read aloud, followed by a moment of silence.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Minister for Employment, Economy and Trade, Matt Jones, said: “These were not just workers. They were parents, spouses, siblings, sons, daughters, neighbors and friends. “They were part of our communities and their contributions will always be remembered.”

Of the 165 Alberta workers who lost their lives in 2023, the leading cause was occupational diseases (89), followed by trauma (39) and motor vehicle accidents (29). The remaining eight were other causes.

“This is a good reminder that health and safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Shevalier said. “This is a way to recommit ourselves to the project of reaching a year without injuries, a year without deaths.”

Although numbers for 2023 are not yet final, Shevalier said about 57,577 Albertans suffered non-fatal injuries at work to varying degrees in 2022.

“A death in the workplace is already unacceptable. Hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries and illnesses a year is an excessive measure,” he stated.

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“Workers have the right to a job that doesn’t make them sick and a job that brings them home safely to their loved ones every day.”

Many accidents ‘probably easily preventable’: paramedic

Don Sharpe lost a leg in a workplace incident while working a summer job in 1974, when he was just 16 years old.

“We all worked very hard, we thought we were working pretty safely, but I got hurt for predictable reasons,” he said.

“I was lucky, they could have killed me.”

He later became a paramedic and recently retired after 40 years. During that time he has responded to a few workplace incidents.

“Many people here talk about the responsibilities of the employer, but, again, I have seen many accidents that are directly the fault of the worker for not paying attention, or for not knowing their job, for not checking their tools, for not doing things that “They told me not to do it.”

Sharpe advised workers to take their time, know their job and ask for help if they need it.

“Many of the accidents I suffer are quite simple and probably easily preventable.”

Sharpe said he believes health and safety in the workplace is improving all the time.

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He also talked about the importance of having a leader in workplaces who understands the importance of safety and truly cares about workers.

‘We have a collective responsibility to make things better for today’s workers’

Jones said everyone – employers, workers and governments – has a responsibility to create healthy and safe workplaces.

At Sunday’s event, Diana Batten of the NDP MLA for Calgary-Acadia said every worker deserves to go to work knowing they will return home safe and sound.

“We have a collective responsibility to make things better for today’s workers by supporting, pushing and campaigning for stronger and better regulations and compliance,” he said.

Batten said the day is about mourning those who were lost, while also renewing the fight for the living.

The Alberta government highlighted workplace safety initiatives such as SST Prevention InitiativeCertificate of Recognition program, continuous review and updating of the OHS Code and access to more than 400 free resources.

Shevalier said safety must be taken seriously in the workplace and that workers must exercise all their rights, particularly the right to refuse unsafe work. She said most workers are covered by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Alberta, while some are covered by private insurers.

“It’s important that we know how we are covered,” he said.

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