Lest we forget

Today is International Workers' Memorial Day, a day we remember those we have lost to work-related accidents or diseases.

28 April 2022

Written by Professor Joanne Crawford

Many people in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world marked Anzac day this week, attending dawn ceremonies and remembering those lost in war.

As an immigrant to New Zealand my first Anzac Day was in April 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, everyone stood at the end of their driveways at dawn, to remember those we have lost in war. It was a very moving experience.

This week also marks another international day of remembrance—this Thursday the 28^th of April is International Workers Memorial Day.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO)¹ estimates that we lose 6000 people per day across the globe to work-related accidents or diseases, with 2.3 million people impacted by disease or injury per year.  That is a huge number of people who didn’t plan to get ill, injured, or killed as a result of their work, and the impact on families and communities around the world is devastating.

In the year to October 2021, Aotearoa New Zealand saw 63 fatalities as a result of workplace illness or injury. The youngest person who died was 2 years old, and the oldest 92. All 63 of those deaths would have an impact on whānau and communities and these are often the unmeasurable things that impact on us as humans.

The impact of work on health cannot be ignored. As well as those killed by fatal accidents, there are an estimated 750–900 people killed by work-related ill-health. Approximately 50% of those deaths are caused by cancer, including lung cancer (associated with asbestos, silica dust, and diesel exhaust), mesothelioma (from asbestos), and breast cancer (from night work). A further 5000–6000 people per year are hospitalised one third due to non-melanoma skin cancer or lung cancer, and a further two thirds with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, heart disease, asthma, depressive disorders, or anxiety disorders.

On top of that, there are also numerous work-related injuries and illnesses that do not lead to hospitalisation but still require treatment—musculoskeletal injury, poor mental health, respiratory harm, and cancer. These injuries are estimated to cost New Zealand $2 billion per year. I am sure many of us could think of better ways to spend that money.

So, what can we do, and how can we reduce these numbers? I wish that was an easy question to answer but is made up of so many decisions and actions from government level down to the individual worker. Such complexity means that the solutions are unlikely to be simple.

There have been some changes in how we look at things from a research lens, with studies like this one from Mackie et al² identifying pressure points across the whole work system and providing a broad and more encompassing view of safety across every aspect of a workplace, including the type of contracts used, shift structures, and the pay workers receive.

How we think about work and humans in the workplace may also need to be examined. Humans are humans, not resources. They are the biggest cost to workplace because they are the biggest asset. We need to be aware of human capabilities and frailties when we are thinking about the design of work. How much is too much, whether that is lifting and handling, driving long hours or just being overwhelmed with demands. Research has identified that good work, where there has been consideration of the health, safety and wellbeing of the worker as well as the design of the work, is generally good for people³.  This has advanced through the ILO concepts of Decent Work and now the Better Work agenda here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also led to a shift in work culture for many people. As we begin our return to a more normal work life it is essential that we don’t lose all the lessons learned from the pandemic working environment. We must keep protecting our workers, involving workers in decision making, and remembering that coming to work when unwell is not good for the workers, co-workers, or anyone else. We need action from the work and employment system to ensure people are protected and paid if they are unwell.

We can build on that knowledge and add to it through our research, connections, and communities. Understanding where we are today can inform how we can work better tomorrow. On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember those we have lost, but we also “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living”⁴ and those who come after us.