Families of victims who lost their lives in workplace accidents joined the Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins, and representatives from NISO, the HSA, ICTU, Ibec and the Construction Industry Federation at the national commemorative ceremony to mark this year’s Workers’ Memorial Day Ireland, held at the Garden of Remembrance on Monday 29 April.
Workers’ Memorial Day is an annual event dedicated to remembering workers who have lost their lives, been injured or contracted illnesses at or because of work.
Workplace Fatalities
- Nearly 460 people died in work-related incidents in Ireland between 2014 and 2023.
- 43 people were killed in workplace incidents in 2023.
- Working with vehicles and falling from heights were the leading causes of work-related fatalities in 2023.
- So far this year, nine people have lost their lives in workplace incidents.
John McCann (62), from Clondalkin in Dublin lost his life when he fell from a height on a construction site in Ringsend in Dublin in 2019. The McCann family attended the ceremony. Calling on employers to improve workplace safety, John’s daughter Denise McCann said: “For all employers listening, I beg of you, make health and safety your top priority.”
Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail Emer Higgins and Denise McCann, daughter of John McCann (62) who lost his life in a workplace incident. (Pic: RTE News)
Despite the numbers in employment increasing, HSA records show an overall decrease in the rate of workplace fatalities per 100,000 workers in Ireland over the last ten years, from a rate of 2.8 in 2014 to 1.6 in 2023.
“We’ve made significant strides since the inception of the Health and Safety Authority in 1989, evident in the halving of the fatality rate,” said Conor O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer of the HSA. “However, there is still a huge amount of work to do and absolutely no room for complacency. As the economy continues to prosper and employment increases, it is vital that safety and health for all workers is prioritised.” (Source: www.rte.ie/news/)
