Day of remembrance to honor workers who have been injured or killed on the job; day reminds rank-and-file workers in all industries how important safety is
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Over the past few years, great strides have been made to make construction sites and industrial work places safer. Yet, accidents still happen.
The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) will join industry organizations and unions across the United States on Wednesday, April 28, to honor Workers Memorial Day.
Workers Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for industry workers who have been injured or killed on the job. The theme, “Good Jobs, Safe Jobs Now!” emphasizes the ongoing fight to protect workers’ safety and health.
“Thousands of workers die from unnecessary workplace injuries and illnesses every year, and there are millions more who struggle because they’ve been hurt on the job,” said Gary Batykefer, administrative director for SMOHIT. “As an organization we fully support the efforts by Congress to strengthen and update OSHA’s Protecting America’s Workers Act because it would extend coverage to hundreds of thousands more workers.”
SMOHIT is dedicated to developing and promoting health and safety resources for more than 123,000 members of the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, thereby creating a safer, injury-free workforce.
The Protecting America’s Worker’s Act (HR2067 and S1580) is in the process of extending the Occupational Safety and Health Act to cover millions of public sector workers and other workers who are currently overlooked.
In honor of Workers Memorial Day, men and women around the country will hold rallies or vigils demanding safe jobs and honoring those who have died, create workplace memorials, distribute fliers calling on Congress regarding the Protecting America’s Workers Act and meet with local leaders to discuss the needs of stronger work safety and health laws.
SMOHIT was created in 1986 to address issues of asbestos exposure through screenings and education and has since expanded its mission to include health and safety training products, health and safety training curriculum, and health and safety services. SMOHIT works directly with the International Training Institute (ITI) to offer the training programs.
SMOHIT, ITI and the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) are members of the Sheet Metal Industry Resource Alliance (SMIRA), which is dedicated to providing support, education, information and other resources to the sheet metal and air conditioning training community.
For more information on SMOHIT visit www.smohit.org or call 703-739-7130.