Patricia Jones, director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Avenel office, speaks during Middlesex County’s Workers Memorial Day Commemoration ceremony, held April 26 in Sayreville. The annual ceremony recognizes those who have been injured or killed on the job over the past year, focusing on the importance and need for better health and safety conditions in the workplace. SAYREVILLE — Every year, millions of men and women lose their lives or suffer debilitating illnesses or injuries while at work.
To honor these employees, Workers Memorial Day was established nationally in 1989 and is commemorated each year on April 28. Middlesex County held a ceremony on April 26 in Sayreville to recognize those who have lost their lives as a result of work-related incidents.
“We are here to ensure that the 36 New Jersey residents who died while on the job this past year are not forgotten,” Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios said.
“We are here to pay our respects to Officer Sean Collier of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology police, who was killed in the aftermath of the terrorist bombing of the Boston Marathon, and to the nine emergency services personnel who died responding to the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.
“Most importantly, we are here to promise to do our level best to ensure safe working conditions for every man and woman, no matter what their occupation.”
The day is also a tribute to those who have helped lead the fight to improve conditions and safety practices throughout the nation. Workers Memorial Day is held on the anniversary date of the founding of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1971.
“Workers Memorial Day is an occasion for reflection and remembrance of the thousands of workers who needlessly have suffered fatal injuries on the job every year,” said Patricia Jones, director of OSHA’s Avenel office. “We also think of those workers who have been seriously injured or sickened as a result of preventable workplace hazards.
“No worker should have to sacrifice their life for their livelihood.”