For anyone starting a career or for those of us in our careers, we should all be able to go home safely to the people we love once the working day is done. While workplaces are demonstrably safer than in years past, an average of 146 British Columbian workers lost their lives in the province’s workplaces every year from 2018 to 2021.
On this Workers’ Mourning Day. I ask you to remember those killed or injured in workplaces or afflicted with industrial disease while bearing in mind the shared roles we all have in workplace safety. CNC will half mast its flags as we pay our respects.
Safety in a workplace often starts here, in places of learning. I’m grateful for the many people who make this a key responsibility at CNC. They include but are not limited to instructors working directly with students, our safety and security staff, and the joint health and safety committees across CNC’s six campuses.
The responsibility for safety doesn’t end when a student completes their training and joins the workforce. There is always an opportunity to continuously examine workplace environments for safety, take extra time to ensure that a planned procedure has the required safety measures in place, and to call out unsafe environments.
I ask you to carefully consider how you can work towards a safer workplace. You have a right to go home safe at the end of the day. This also comes with the responsibility to be vigilant about safety procedures and continuous improvement, here at the college or wherever your careers may take you.
As part of Workers’ Memorial Day, a wreath laying ceremony and moment of silence will take place in Prince George. The North Central Labour Council is organizing the event. It will happen at 1030am at the Worker’s Memorial Statue located at Patricia Boulevard and Queensway. You can find more at dayofmourning.bc.ca.
Thank you.