"On April 28, 1970, the nation first observed Workers Memorial Day at a time when an estimated 38 people died on the job in the U.S. each day. More than a half century later, this annual tribute endures as do the determined efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration to help protect the lives of our nation's workers.
Today, work-related injuries claim the lives of approximately 14 people each day in the U.S., that's one life lost every 101 minutes. There were 5,190 such deaths in 2021. Workers Memorial Day pays tribute to these people, and all the fallen workers before them, and the survivors who remain to grieve and carry on.
In 2023, families, friends, coworkers, and others will gather on Friday, April 28 at events across the nation to honor people who died at work.
"On Workers Memorial Day, as we remember the people whose jobs claimed their lives, we must recognize that behind these numbers, there are people who mourn each loss. For them, these statistics are loved ones: they're parents, children, siblings, relatives, friends, or co-workers," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. "On this day of remembrance, we should reflect on what might have prevented their loss and recommit ourselves to doing all we can — and all that can be done — to safeguard workers and to fulfill our moral obligation and duty as a nation to protect America's workers."
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