The B.C. Day of Mourning was held across the province on Saturday with 40 ceremonies marking the deaths of those who lost their lives on the job.
The numbers released by WorkSafeBC to mark the occasion are sobering to look at.
In B.C. in 2017, 158 work-related death claims were accepted by WorkSafeBC. Imagine that – 158 people dying just because they were working.
In breaking down those numbers, WorkSafeBC says that 87 (55 per cent) of those deaths were due to occupational disease, largely from exposure to asbestos decades ago, and 71 (45 per cent) resulted from traumatic injury, including 28 from motor-vehicle incidents.
Last year, these were the job sectors that had the most work-related deaths:
- construction (51)
- manufacturing (33)
- services (26)
- primary-resources sector (15)
- transportation and warehousing (22)
If there is anything positive to be gleaned from these numbers, it is that they are likely to drop considering that asbestos exposure is becoming far less prevalent than decades ago.
WorkSafeBC also says that when it comes to worker deaths from traumatic injuries, the numbers continue to drop in B.C. Between 1996 and 2017, the rate fell by 56 per cent.
Unfortunately, deaths from occupational disease continue to rise with a jump of approximately 33 per cent from 1996 and 2017.
The work-related death rate in 2017 for all deaths has fallen by 30 per cent since 1996.
Governments of all levels must continue to put resources into the enforcement of workplace safety regulations to ensure companies don’t cut corners when it comes to safety. Training is also paramount.
One positive project that coincided with the Day of Mourning was 145 high schools taking part in a special effort to raise awareness with youth about the importance of safety.
Last year, six young workers died of work-related injuries. Hopefully this project and other efforts will ensure those numbers decline.
