The occurrence of a workplace fatality is often devastating to a company may it be big or small since it can drive away customers and new employees as well as bring forth financial expenditures since businesses are obliged by the law to cover hospitalization and burial expenses. However, these expenses and devastating news can be avoided through regular first aid renewal for employees since workplace-related injuries and sickness can be prevented and treated immediately. By ensuring that employees are well-trained in first aid learning more about workplace fatality, high workplace fatality can be a thing of the past.
The government’s take on workplace fatality
To honor employees who have lost their lives in the workplace, the Canadian government particularly the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety declared April 28th of every year as the National Day of Mourning. The entire movement of allotting a day of remembrance to workplace fatality started in 1984 by the Canadian Union of Public Employees and it still honored to this day. This just goes to show that workplace fatality is still a problem and that it should still be a cause for concern both for the employers and employees.
The latest statistics in workplace fatality
According to the statistics that was released by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 977 employees died in the workplace in 2012 which is noticeably lower than the number of workplace fatality in the previous years which rose to 1, 098 in 2005. Even though there is a general decline in the number of workplace-related deaths, this latest toll means that around three people die in the workplace every day which is still a high ratio especially for a developed country. This is why more employers and supervisors should look into the importance of first aid renewal in the workplace.
The causes of these fatalities
Occupational fatality is not just brought upon by accidents which involve heavy machinery and high offices. It is also caused by medical conditions which are caused by occupational health hazards. These hazards can come in the form of chemicals or animal dander which is a common problem for unhygienic offices or workplace environment.
Through first aid renewal, office hygiene will be looked into which means that fatalities caused by unhygienic workplaces can be avoided. Workplace injuries will also be treated immediately which can prevent its escalation to a more serious medical condition which can lead to death.