NSW insurer and care provider icare has joined hundreds of people in commemorating the International Day of Mourning, to honour and remember those who lost their lives at work through a workplace incident or occupational disease.
John Nagle, interim CEO of icare, attended the April 28 annual memorial service held in Reflection Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney. Nagle said the impact of a death in the workplace never ends for the families and workplace communities of the deceased.
“It is a day for icare to reaffirm our commitment to create workplaces with a culture of safety,” Nagle said. “It is important that we remember the lives of those lost through a fatality at work, and learn from the experiences of the families who remain, so we can all return home safely from work every day.”
According to the latest statistics, there were 53 fatalities caused by workplace accidents in NSW last year, Nagle said.
“Even though the number of fatal incidents in NSW workplaces has reduced by 49% over the last 10 years, there is still more we can do to make our workplaces safer,” Nagle said. “That is why we work closely with employers to develop practical improvement plans for safety awareness and injury prevention.”
Last year, icare rolled out a Grief Support and Information pack to help families deal with grief and help them navigate through the agencies that are involved when a person dies at work and the support services that are available to them, Nagle said.
The Grief Support Pack is available on icare’s website.
