HARRISBURG, Pa. — April 18 is nationally recognized at Workers Memorial Day, a day that honors the men and women who have been killed while on the clock.
This comes just a few weeks after three construction workers were killed in a devastating accident on Interstate 83.
And while the day remembers those who died, officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration say it’s also meant to find ways to save lives.
For more than 50 years, OSHA has honored people killed in the workplace.
Kevin Chambers, the area director of OSHA Harrisburg, says the day also commemorates workers killed prior to 1971.
“April 29, 1971, was OSHA’s first day after the Occupational Safety and Health Act was put into law,” Chambers said.
On average, 13 workers a day are killed in the United States.
OSHA reported 41 fatalities in Pennsylvania alone over the past year, a number Chambers says could’ve been prevented.
“In recent years there’s been about 5,500 workers a year that’ve been killed on the job,” Chambers said.
Most workplace fatalities happen in construction, either by falling or working on the road.
Chambers expects cases of deaths and injuries to rise as the weather gets warmer.
“We typically see an increase in worker fatalities, especially as a lot of outdoor industries start to really regain production.”
Although some fatalities are accidental, Chambers says it's important employers maintain a safe environment and regularly communicate with employees.
Doing so could mean the difference between life and death.
“They may not see an immediate result, but they may actually prevent something from happening in the next shift,” Chambers said.
OSHA encourages any employee with safety concerns or questions to contact the Harrisburg office by dialing 717–782–3902.