Workers’ Memorial Day and the Importance of Industrial Hygiene Services

Workers’ Memorial Day is observed on the 28th of April each year. This is the same date that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971. This important day of recognition began in Canada and was later adopted in the United States in 1989.  Today, Workers’ Memorial Day is observed in countries across the globe.
 
Protecting the U.S. workforce has improved over the years, but as recently as 2015, OSHA reports that over 4,800 workers were killed on the job. This is a dramatic improvement from the estimated 14,000 workers killed on the job each year before the creation of OSHA, but there is still much work to be done.
 
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing “safe and healthful working conditions” for their employees.  On the frontline, committed to achieving the goal of creating a safe work environment, are thousands of dedicated Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs).  Today, almost 7,000 CIHs are employed in countries worldwide and have proven to be instrumental in helping private employers, institutions and government agencies improve the health and safety of work environments. 
 
“While Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who died while serving in the armed forces, Workers’ Memorial Day is a time to honor workers who have died on the job and the heartbreak and suffering experienced by their friends and families,” said David Roskelley, CIH® and Chair of ABIH®. “It is also a time to recognize the inherent risks and potential hazards that many workers face each day. Preventing conditions that could result in deaths, illnesses and injuries has to be of the highest priority. We encourage those tasked with the oversight of worker health and safety initiatives to look to the expertise of CIHs to manage and implement programs to protect their workers, communities and reputations.”
 
To learn more about the American Board of Industrial Hygiene®, Certified Industrial Hygienist® credential or to locate a CIH® to perform industrial hygiene services, please visit www.ABIH.org, email abih@ABIH.org or call (517) 321-2638.
 
About the American Board of Industrial Hygiene ®
Since 1960, ABIH®, a not-for-profit corporation, has been the world’s largest organization for certifying professionals in the practice of industrial hygiene. ABIH® is the premier credentialing body responsible for ensuring high-quality certification including education, experience, examination, certification maintenance and ethics enforcement.  Currently, more than 6900 people in 32 countries are certified to use the CIH® designation.
 

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