Chris Trahan Cain, executive director of CPWR: The Center for Construction Research and Training, shared the following statement in commemoration of Workers Memorial Day.
โToday we honor workers killed on the job and those who experience occupational injuries and illnesses. In construction, the number of workplace fatalities and injuries remains unacceptably high.
โAround 1,000 workers die on jobsites each year and many thousands more die from exposure to chemicals over their working lives. Pain from musculoskeletal disorders and injuries leads to opioid prescriptions, dependencies and overdoses and is also associated with death by suicide.
โAs we remember those who have died because of work in our industry, we also need to strengthen our commitment to making sure every worker comes home safely every day. Owners, contractors, managers, government officials, unions, workers and others must continue to commit to making jobsites safe and healthy.โ
He added, โWorkers Memorial Day comes in between two powerful efforts to improve safety. Last week was National Work Zone Awareness Week, including the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidentsโthe second leading cause of death and leading cause of nonfatal injuries among construction workers.
โNext week is the annualย National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, which cause one-third of on-the-job deaths in the industry. It is part of theย nationalย Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction, a broad industry effortย to raise awareness of this hazard and show the many ways falls are preventable.
โI hope you and your colleagues will join in remembering those who have been lost and in protecting todayโs workers.โ
