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Safety Net Journal Issue 2 |
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Be prepared for Workers Memorial Day/European Week
By Tony Larkin
A brief reminder of two of the biggest events in the safety calendar.
International Workers Memorial Day (WMD) on 28 April is the day when the trade union movement across the world remembers all the people who have been killed in the name of work.
Every year in the UK about 1,500 people are killed while doing their jobs (including those killed on the roads while working). Another 10-20,000 people die each year from work-related diseases, about 5,000 from asbestos diseases alone.
Worldwide every year two million people are killed by work according to the ILO - many more than are killed in wars.
The slogan for WMD is REMEMBER THE DEAD - FIGHT FOR THE LIVING. You can help to commemorate the event by:
- Distributing copies of Usdaw's Workers' Memorial Day leaflet
- Joining in local memorial activities in your area
- Wearing a purple knotted ribbon.
To find out more about the Day and any activities in your area check out the TUC WMD web pages. Purple knotted ribbons can be ordered from Greater Manchester Hazards Centre.
European Health and Safety Week runs from 23 - 27 October. This year's theme is the protection of young people at work. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work young workers suffer from a 50% higher than average accident rate. The Agency, along with the unions and The HSE, aims to raise awareness of the safety and health risks young workers face and of the actions necessary to reduce them. And work is already starting to build the campaign on the 'Young People'
pages of the Agency web site.
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