Workers Memorial Day

To Remember the dead and fight for the living.

North West workers who have been killed by work will be remembered at a Worker's Memorial Day event in Albert Square, Manchester on Saturday 28 April.

Over the past two years the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) records 45 workers killed in workplace incidents in the North West. However, the total figure for all those killed at and by work is far higher because the HSE figures only record a fraction of all worker deaths and exclude those working on the roads, at sea, in the air, and all workers who have died from illnesses.

Gathering at the CIS Building on Corporation Street at 12 noon, workers and family members with flags and banners, will march off at 12.30, led by the Lantern Brass Band, for a rally in Albert Square at 13.00. There will be a minutes silence laying of wreaths, reading of names of those we know have died, plus speakers including union safety reps, FACK and GM Asbestos Victims Support Group and MP Tony Lloyd.

One of the organisers, Hilda Palmer, of the G.M Hazards Centre says: “We only have the names of 45 people killed at work, but on Worker's Memorial Day we will remember all those killed while working and all workers who have died from illnesses caused by poor working conditions, such as exposure to dust, chemicals, asbestos, over work and stress.

"Nationally we estimate that over 1,300 workers were killed in incidents and up to 50,000 died from workplace illnesses in 2010/11 – this includes 18,000 from occupational cancer, 20,000 from work-related heart disease and 12,000 from lung and other work-related illnesses. We invite families of those killed to come and ensure they are all remembered too.”

Of the 45 workers the HSE records killed in incidents in the North West, 15 were killed by vehicles, 10 by machinery, 9 were killed in falls from height, 5 by objects falling on them, others by cattle, crushed in a trench, drowned, killed in a fire and poisoned by carbon monoxide.

Those workers from Greater Manchester include:

• Mohammed Abu who was killed in a workplace fire in Rochdale
• 17-year-old Niall Page killed by a fork lift truck in Trafford Park
• Engineer Liam O’Neill, 51, killed by an overhead crane in Preston
• Susan Brooks 56, stuck by a vehicle in Bolton
• 59 year old construction worker Lindsay Easton killed in vehicle incident in Bury
• Michael Sweet, 48, who fell from height in Manchester
• Michael Wickstead,63, struck by a moving object in Oldham
• 43 year old Daniel Lobb killed in Salford when he fell form height
• Christopher Morris, 40, killed by a workplace vehicle in Wigan

Linzi Herbertson whose husband was killed at work in Oldham in 1998, and who set up Families Against Corporate Killers says: “Every one one of these workers is a real person, not a statistic, and their deaths are tragedies for their families. Almost all of them died, like my husband, because health and safety was not managed properly at their workplaces.

"On Worker's Memorial Day we remember the dead but we also fight for the living.

"We want people to realise that health and safety isn’t a joke, it’s about whether someone comes home after work, alive and well, or not.

"None of those killed in incidents at work, or by illnesses caused by work died because of over the top health and safety, but because of far too little care for their lives and health.

"And because the real figures are never published, most workers and the public are unaware of the real risks they face of being killed injured or made ill by something like occupational cancer, lung disease or heart disease is far higher than they imagine.

Linzi added: "At the end of our rally, we will reveal a vision of the possible future victims of poor health and safet, if the government carries on slashing the laws and their enforcement that act as a lifeline for workers.

"We need to raise awareness that health and safety is no joke and it’s not a burden on business, it’s a burden on us and more health and safety cuts will kill!”

Hilda Palmer added: “The TUC have made this year’s Worker's Memorial, Day a “Day of Action to Defend Health and Safety”, because of the severity of the attacks on health and safety.

"Neglecting workers health makes no moral or economic sense as we will all have to stay healthy to work far longer, and poor workplace health and safety ends up costing the whole economy from £20 to 40 billion every year which society cannot afford.”