The 28th of April is International Workers’ Memorial Day. This is an extremely important day to us, and we observe the day each year.
Remember the dead, Fight for the living
The day is summarised by the strapline ‘Remember the dead, Fight for the living’ and is a time to remember people who have died as a result of work. This could be due to a workplace accident, ill health or a work-related disease.
The legacy of asbestos
At Asbestos Justice, this day encompasses everything we work for. Our clients are all suffering with asbestos-related illnesses or have lost members of their family to asbestos disease, almost always caused by their work, or the work of a loved one. These are people who went off to work each day, were negligently exposed to a deadly material, and who, as a result, have had their later years plagued by ill health, and, unfortunately, in many instances, their lives cut short.
Unfortunately, the legacy of asbestos is still going strong and more than 2,000 people in the UK each year are diagnosed with the uncurable asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The only known cause of this cancer is exposure to asbestos and so the only way to prevent this is to stop people from being exposed to asbestos.
Sadly, we still regularly hear from people who have had recent exposure to asbestos due to the negligence of their employers, and this is why it is important to mark these annual events and raise awareness.
This year’s theme
This year, the theme is ‘The Climate Crisis and Workers’ Health, focussing on how the change in climate affects occupational health and safety. This can include heat stress, extreme weather events, UV radiation and air pollution – something that is already an issue and is going to continue to be unless drastic changes happen.
Even something that could be seen as minor, such as changing weather, can have a catastrophic effect on workers. Those working in sectors such as agriculture, construction and postal delivery, have been especially affected, with a significant increase in heat-related illnesses and fatalities. And it is not just heat which poses a threat, but also storms, hurricanes, floods, lightning, wildfires and strong winds.
Luc Triant, the General Secretary at the International Trade Union Confederation, has said “The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it’s a present danger to workers around the globe. It’s imperative that we demand robust policies and practices to protect our working people from the hazardous impacts of climate change. Our call to action is clear: we must integrate climate risk assessments and emergency preparedness into our occupational safety and health standards.”
What are we doing?
This year 28th April falls on a Sunday and so on Monday morning, we will be holding a minute’s silence, giving us a moment of quiet to think about our past clients and those who have sadly lost their fight to asbestos diseases.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, we can help. Contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.