Since 2012, April 28 has been Hungary's official day of remembrance for workers injured or killed in workplace accidents. The day's primary purpose is to draw the attention of the public and of workers to the importance of occupational safety and accident prevention - because to this day, more people worldwide die while working than in wars.
Where does the day of remembrance come from?
The day commemorating workers injured or killed in workplace accidents was first observed on 28 April 1984 by the Canadian Union of Public Employees; a year later the initiative was taken up by the Canadian Labour Congress as well.
The date refers to 28 April 1914, when Canada adopted the workers' compensation legislation that led to the creation of the first Canadian occupational safety authority. In 1991 the Canadian Parliament enshrined the day in law, declaring April 28 a National Day of Mourning. The United States adopted it in 1989, the United Kingdom three years later, followed by a growing number of nations - Hungary among them.
Sobering statistics in Hungary
Sadly, the figures in Hungary are sobering too: in 2014 there were 19,661 workplace accidents - despite every effort, a +14.2% increase compared with 2013 (source: www.ommf.gov.hu). Even more shocking, the number of fatal accidents rose by +30.2% compared with 2013. Fortunately the situation has improved compared with previous decades, but the importance of occupational safety cannot be stressed often enough.
Key pointMore people still die at work worldwide than in wars - prevention is not a formality, it saves lives.
This year's theme: harm caused by chemical agents
The ILO (International Labour Organization) dedicated this year to reducing the harm caused by chemical agents, with the reduction of asbestos-related diseases as its most important goal. In an earlier article we covered the insidious, latent diseases caused by asbestos, which are still linked to more than 20 deaths per week on average.
With our chemical risk assessments, our goal is to reduce the risk of illness caused by harmful chemical agents at your workplace too, along with the permanent health damage that can result.
Join the ranks of responsible employers and request a quote today for your company's occupational risk assessment!