Lousy Legacy – Too Many Canadians Die on Job
“On any given workday in Canada, three people will die from a job-related fatality, life-altering injury or occupational disease.”
– Threads of Life; The Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support
As far as I’m concerned, one workplace fatality is one too many.
That nearly 20,000 Canadians have died because of their job since 2000 – the year my husband, John, died in the line of duty as the result of a preventable fall at unsafe workplace – is not only atrocious, it is completely unacceptable.
And yet accept it we must. By “we,” I mean the public as well as the hundreds of thousands of loved ones – family, friends & colleagues – left behind to pick up the pieces after these workplace tragedies (the vast majority of which were preventable)…never mind the thousands of workers who died before 2000.
Or…maybe it’s time we stop accepting this disgraceful legacy?
Maybe it’s time we raised our societal expectations a few notches and started questioning why nearly 1000 Canadians a year are dying as the result of their work – be that from a injury sustained on the job or as the result of an occupational illness?
Maybe it’s time we take a good hard look at the sheer number of workplace fatalities, serious injuries and occupational illnesses – and crank up our collective efforts to shift towards a culture that truly reflects the belief that one workplace death is one too many.
Maybe it’s time we create a new legacy? Because quite frankly, our current one is…horrific.
To this end, the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund is in the early stages of creating our next 30-second TV ad/public service announcement (this will be our 9th PSA). The purpose of this PSA will be to raise public awareness about the simple fact that a staggering number of Canadians are dying simply because…they went to work.
But we could use some help.
Please click here for details about our current fundraising campaign (that runs until Canada Day 2019).
Thank you.
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her regular weekly blog, please sign up here.
4 thoughts on “Lousy Legacy – Too Many Canadians Die on Job”
I just finished two court cases regards my husband death in a workplace incident. When charges were laid, I started screamimg at OHS and I didn’t let up. I sent them anything I found about the subject of how they don’t look at criminal negligence causing death. They only go on past presidence which protects the Corporation and the elite. The workforce gets swept under the carpet. That’s the law they told me. I believe this case was prime Westray bill c-45. We have our our Prime Minister as an exmple of Government protectionism. All the fines imposed are a steady stream of revenue for them so why give it up. Count me in
Hi Patti…wow, thank you so much for writing me. I am SO sorry that you, too, have had to go through the horrific experience of losing your husband to a workplace fatality…and then had to fight it out in the courts. Things HAVE to change.
Maryanne
20,000 people since 2000. 1000 people a year. That’s such a shocking statistic and we need more people like yourself and the JPMF bringing this into people’s consciences. The more we understand the risks, the more we can do to prevent such tragedies.
Keep up the great work Maryanne.
It IS shocking…you’re right.
MA