FREDERICTON – Ceremonies were held across New Brunswick to remember those who’ve been injured or killed while on the job to mark National Day of Mourning.
According to WorksafeNB, there were more than 8,000 Occupational Health and Safety violations reported in New Brunswick last year, with almost 300 serious workplace accident investigations.
There were also seven workplace related fatalities in the province in 2013.
Get breaking National news
“The state of the economy is often used as an excuse, that we can’t afford to invest in health and safety,” said Alex Bailey, president of the Fredericton and District Labour Council.
Bailey says too many injuries go unreported, and some investigations are not properly completed.
“Sometimes, it’s covered up or not well documented enough and often times people don’t know what to do when an injury does happen,” he said.
David Frank, a historian and advocate for workplace safety, says safety needs to be better enforced.
“We need to create a culture of workplace safety where people understand as they go into the workforce for the first time that they have the right to refuse unsafe work,” he said.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.