Did You Know Today Is Workers Memorial Day

April 28 has been set aside as Workers Memorial Day for the past 40 years to commemorate the founding of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). With OSHA came regulations and enforcement that helped make working environments safer for Americans. Undoubtedly, countless lives have been saved as a result of OSHA.

However, on Workers Memorial Day, it is also a good time to remind ourselves that there are still many dangerous working conditions that exist today and workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths are still more common than one may realize.

Of course there are the inherently dangerous jobs like mining, construction and other industrial-type work. But there are also many occupations considered relatively safe by most people that are causing injuries to workers. Some of these occupations were highlighted in a recent article in a nonprofit national magazine, including assembly line workers, farm workers, clerical workers, hospital workers, taxi cab drivers and truck drivers.

The article reported that even though the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics has said that death and injury rates among workers have been on the decline in recent years, some union leaders have countered that the decline could be the result of employers not reporting injuries and OSHA not considering certain injuries to be worth recording.

Also discussed in the article was workers’ compensation. The author said that even though injured workers are legally entitled to workers’ compensation, many who are eligible never receive it because they don’t understand the application process and aren’t aware of their rights.

Another problem injured workers face in today’s economy, the article said, is that many people are temporary or independent contract workers and do not receive the health care that was once so common with long-term employment. Workers’ compensation benefits become even more important for these people.

If you were injured in the workplace and have lost wages or acquired medical bills because of it, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Discuss your situation with a workers’ compensation attorney in your state for more information.

Source: In These Times, “Workers Memorial Day: A Call to Memory and Action,” Kari Lydersen, 4/28/2011.