Media Advisory: May 9, 2009

BWC Joins Families to Honor Workers Who Lost their Lives on the Job

Annual event pays tribute to those who have died as a result of a workplace accident

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) joined central Ohio’s labor community, and friends and family Saturday to honor workers who lost their lives on the job in 2008 The Central Ohio Labor Council hosted the memorial event at the Harry E. Richter Workers’ Memorial Park, located at the corner of Front and Long Streets in Columbus. The names of Donald Bradley, Eugene Brown, Freddie Caceres, Harold Hollett, Scott Priest, Diane Sharp, John Tinker, and Abdi Yusuf were engraved in the park’s memorial wall and were read aloud during the ceremony.

Dr. Abe Tarawneh (tah-rah-nee), Superintendent of the BWC Division of Safety & Hygiene, joined in paying tribute to Ohio’s dedicated work force and spoke at the ceremony. BWC’s Division of Safety and Hygiene is tasked with promoting occupational safety and health and the prevention of accidents, injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Some of the Division’s activities include safety grants; and free safety consulting and education/training classes.

“BWC’s Division of Safety and Hygiene is tasked with promoting safety in the workplace and the prevention of workplace accidents, injuries and occupational illnesses. Our mission is rooted in a deep understanding of the social and economic hardships injured workers and their families go through after a tragic workplace accident. Our goal is to prevent those hardships.” said Tarawneh. “Hearing the names read aloud and meeting the families these workers have left behind provides a vivid reminder of the importance of the work we do to protect workers so they can return home safely each night.”

Ohio's workers' compensation system helps employers and employees cope with workplace injuries by providing safety education and medical and compensation benefits for work-related injuries, diseases and deaths. Last year, BWC assisted nearly 160,000 Ohio workers who reported workplace injuries and the families of workers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

“The workers’ memorial is one small way we can show our appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by Ohio workers and their families who have experienced the unthinkable,” said David Caldwell, President of the Central Ohio Labor Council and member of the BWC Board of Directors. “Another way we can honor them is by fulfilling BWC’s mission to promote the safety and well-being of Ohio’s work force. This requires strong partnerships with employers that are wholly committed to instilling the kind of safety culture within their organizations that can prevent tragedies such as these in the future.”

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