Workers’ Memorial Day declared in South Carolina
A concurrent resolution issued by the South Carolina legislature recognized April 28, 2022 as Workers’ Memorial Day in remembrance of workers across the state who sadly lost their lives due to workplace accidents and illnesses.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports more than 4,700 workplace fatalities and 2.7 million injuries or illnesses were recorded across the country in 2020, the latest year figures are available. Tragically, this includes more than 100 workplace fatalities in the State of South Carolina, and 29,100 injuries and illnesses, 19,400 of which were categorized as severe.
Workers’ Memorial Day is recognized internationally in more than 100 countries and commemorates the Occupational Safety and Health Act with hopes of raising awareness on the importance of workplace safety in order to save lives.
“Worker safety is an issue that touches every household in this state and across the country, especially now. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare just how much workers are required to sacrifice on any given day, often putting their own lives on the line in order to do their jobs to the best of their ability,” said Motley Rice attorney Marlon Kimpson.
“No worker should be forced to risk their life unnecessarily. Far too often families learn after the fact that more could have been done to protect their loved ones. The hardworking people of South Carolina deserve to know that they are protected, whether that be by establishing policies to reduce the risk of preventable catastrophic accidents or limiting exposure to dangerous chemicals, asbestos and other toxins,” said Motley Rice attorney Anne McGinness Kearse. “I am grateful that South Carolina’s legislature recognized the significance of this issue by standing with workers and their families.”
About Motley Rice and Workers’ Memorial Day
Motley Rice is dedicated to being a part of the solution toward worker safety, whether related to toxic exposures such as chemical flavoring-related lung diseases, toxic weed killers often used by agricultural and railroad workers, unsafe work environments and products that result in catastrophic injury or death, or our continued work with patients who suffer from asbestos-related diseases and their families.
Workers’ Memorial Day is a national initiative put on by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH), a non-profit coalition of local and statewide groups. Motley Rice collaborates with COSH and supports its goal of enhancing worker safety through advocacy campaigns and the sharing of educational resources.