Mesothelioma Watch A Comprehensive Consumer Resource Concerning Asbestos & Mesothelioma

One hundred and thirty nine British Columbia workers who lost their lives because of workplace injury in 2007 were remembered in a province-wide day of mourning April 28.  In Vancouver, a day of mourning ceremony is to be held at Hastings Park at 10 a.m., where 139 markers, representing each of the workers who died, will line a path to the park’s workers’ memorial.  This particular event is sponsored by WorkSafeBC, the B.C. Federation of Labor and the Business Council of B.C.

This is the 24th annual observance.  Canada’s organized labor coalition is making this effort to bring occupational hazards forward in an attempt to keep job safety at a high priority level in government and at the work place.  What is interesting about this particular event is that of the 139 deaths being memorialized, most are from exposure to asbestos that occurred years ago.

WorkSafeBC breaks the deaths in 2007 down into those who died from traumatic injuries and those who died from occupational diseases.  Of the 139 who died in 2007, 68 were from traumatic injury, the lowest number since 1980. However, the number of people who died from occupational diseases, mainly exposure to asbestos, is the highest ever. Seventy-one people died from occupational diseases.  They expect the annual death rate from mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases to continue rising through 2015.