by Brianna Crandall — May 1, 2015—The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a statement by NIOSH Director John Howard, MD, on April 28 to commemorate Workers Memorial Day and the 45th anniversary of the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. NIOSH also released the related NIOSH Science Blog: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Workers’ Memorial Day 2015.
Director Howard discusses the state of occupational safety and health in the USA and the world and current trends. Howard’s statement begins:
Every year we pause on April 28 for Workers Memorial Day to publicly remember the workers who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work. While worker deaths in America are down, on average, even one death or one injury is still too many.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, promising every worker the right to a safe job. The workplace is ever-evolving, and in the 45 years since the act was signed into law, the number of workers has doubled, globalization has increased rapidly, climate change entered our vernacular, and even the structure of work as we know it has changed. While the challenges we face today may have changed since 1970, the commitment we have to protecting the health and safety of workers remains steadfast.
Howard’s statement covers such issues as infectious disease, global climate change, “green jobs,” the oil and gas industry, motor vehicle deaths, and the evolving workplace. His statement concludes:
Finally, we’ve seen a shift in the nature of work itself. The workplace is no longer confined to a factory or office from 9 to 5. The workplace of today may be one where work is conducted on-the-go—on mobile devices that all too often take our eyes and attention off of the road or on a part-time or temporary basis. Temporary workers make up a growing number of the workforce, and deserve the same level of protection from workplace hazards as permanent employees do. To that end, NIOSH and OSHA jointly published a document in 2014 that outlines best practices for temporary workers.
While NIOSH, along with our partners, is working to address the evolving challenges of the modern workplace, we ourselves continue to grow to meet the diverse needs of workers, our partners, and other stakeholders. This year, we created the Western States Division and the Spokane Mining Research Division. These new divisions provide a growing presence catering to the specific needs of industries and partners in the Western United States.
This Workers Memorial Day, while we pay homage to those who have been hurt or killed on the job, we must also rededicate ourselves to producing the knowledge and solutions that are vital to reducing risks of injury among the America’s workforce until the number of deaths are zero.
