Governor Newsom Issues Proclamation Declaring Workers’ Memorial Day
Workers’ Memorial Day is a time to remember the men and women who have lost their lives on the job and renew our commitment to securing safe and healthy working conditions for all employees. Worldwide, an estimated 2.3 million people die each year from work-related accidents and illnesses.
In California, 376 workers lost their lives in 2017. California’s 19 million workers have made the state the fifth largest economy in the world, and the contributions of our workforce help all Californians to live and thrive in the state. Workers serving in California’s many industries – including construction, agriculture, transportation, public safety and health care – put themselves at risk of serious injury every day. California is at the forefront of workplace safety and has a long history of establishing and enforcing safeguards that always meet and frequently exceed federal requirements. California was the first state in the nation to adopt an Injury and Illness Prevention Program standard in 1991, a comprehensive rule that ensures training to prevent workplace hazards. Our state was also the first to address the dangers heat poses to outdoor workers following brutal heat waves in 2005 that killed 10 workers. Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness regulation, now known as the Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez heat illness prevention standard, was adopted on an emergency basis in August 2005 and strengthened in 2015. California continues to engage in outreach, public awareness and education efforts to inform employers of their responsibilities and workers of their right to a workplace where injuries, illnesses and deaths are preventable. Together, we will make every effort to prevent occupational fatalities and serious injuries, and provide a safe and healthful workplace for all. NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2019, as “Workers’ Memorial Day.” IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 26th day of April 2019. GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California ATTEST: ALEX PADILLA Secretary of State