Contact: Trevor Monk, dlipress@pa.gov
Harrisburg, PA – Shapiro Administration officials from the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) joined local labor leaders Monday to honor workers killed or injured on the job and renew Pennsylvania's commitment to safe workplaces. Workers Memorial Day honors the labor movement's ongoing fight for safe working conditions and worker protections.
Nationally, the labor movement observes Workers Memorial Day on April 28. Locally, Harrisburg labor advocates renewed the call for worker safety protections on Monday at Labor's Grove in Riverfront Park.
"Workers Memorial Day is our annual reminder, rooted in tragedy, to continue fighting for safer workplaces," L&I Acting Secretary Nancy Walker said. "Pennsylvania workers, in every industry, work hard to provide for their families and deserve to go home to their families each day. In collaboration with our federal partners, the Shapiro Administration is committed to working with employers and labor leaders to promote safety in every workplace across the Commonwealth."
Each year, the Harrisburg Region Central Labor Council (HCLC) gathers at a Front Street workers' memorial near the Susquehanna River to honor lives lost and advocate for safer workplaces.
"People do not come to work to be injured or killed," said HCLC President David Gash. "We will never stop fighting until all workers have safe working conditions."
Private workplace safety standards are governed at the federal level by OSHA. Resources for workers are available on OSHA's website, including a toll-free line to confidentially report a workplace health or safety issue. The phone number is 1-800-321-6742.
L&I supports workplace safety throughout the Commonwealth through various programs and training. Launched in 2012, the Pennsylvania Training for Health and Safety (PATHS) program is a free and comprehensive statewide service that provides safety training sessions and other resources. PATHS training can be customized for an employer's needs to prevent workplace safety incidents. More than 45,000 people annually participate in these trainings.
A full calendar of PATHS training sessions is available on L&I's website.
L&I's Bureau of Occupational and Industry Safety (BOIS) administers and enforces safety standards related to asbestos occupations, boilers, building construction, elevators, flammable and combustible liquid, lead occupations and liquefied petroleum gas.
Finally, L&I reminds employers of the resources available through the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Division to ensure the safety of employees at Pennsylvania workplaces. Certified workplace safety committees are effective tools for Pennsylvania businesses to protect their workers and save money. Pennsylvania employers that establish certified workplace safety committees receive a 5% discount on their workers' compensation insurance premiums.
More than 13,000 state-certified workplace safety committees have been established since March 1994, protecting more than 1.6 million workers. Additionally, employers with certified workplace safety committees have saved more than $875 million in workers' compensation premiums. These savings in insurance costs are due solely to the 5% premium discount provided to businesses that have these committees.
For more information on making Pennsylvania workplaces safer, visit www.dli.pa.gov, and click on "Workers' Compensation Services."
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
# # #