The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created on April 28th. And each year on that date is Workers Memorial Day. Vermilion County workers who lost their lives while on the job are remembered in Danville at the Workers’ Memorial just south of Cherry Street on North Hazel.
Kevin Sage, President of the East Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, served as host for Friday’s brief 2 PM ceremony. He said beforehand that things are safer on the job than when OHSA was created over 50 years ago. But there’s always more improvements to make.
(1st Picture) East Central Illinois Building and Trades Council President Kevin Sage speaks during ceremony.
AUDIO: We celebrate every year, and we mourn the loss of people that died while they were on the job. We keep pushing to get safer and safer job sites, so hopefully no more people die while they’re working.
And keeping people from getting sick on the job is another major priority. Oscar Williams of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1963 says government buildings once upon a time had a lot of indoor problems, but it’s much better today.
(2nd Picture) Vermilion Advantage CEO Tim Dudley recalls his father sticking up for the safety of fellow workers during his turn to speak at Friday’s Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony.
AUDIO: There were a lot of unsafe acts that were going on. And we had a lot of mold and stuff at different facilities. So we had to overcome that, because of the older buildings.
OHSA came into being on the 28th of April in 1971.
