By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Northumberland County flags will be lowered to half-mast April 28, with county council this week proclaiming April 28 a National Day of Mourning.
This is an occasion for all Canadians to remember workers killed, disabled or injured in the workplace and workers afflicted with industrial disease, according to the proclamation – which encourages all residents to set an example of their commitment to the issue of health and safety in the workplace.
County council also made five other declarations that take effect either immediately or in the near future.
Dig Safe Month (April 1-30) draws attention to more than 4,500 annual occurrences of excavation events causing damage to Ontario’s underground infrastructure, as documented by the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance and Canadian Common Ground Alliance – and to the Underground Infrastructure Damage Prevention Best Practices handbook they have produced as a result.
National Volunteer Week (April 18-24) honours the volunteers who “mentor our children, feed our hungry, comfort our lonely, beautify our green spaces and fundraise for our charitable organizations” through their service with the Golden Plough Lodge, Food 4 All Warehouse, Business and Entrepreneurship Centre, County Archives and Museum, Northumberland Forest, Waste and Recycling programs – not to mention the county’s hospitals, hospice facilities, churches and service clubs.
First Responders Day (May 1) identifies this term as “people who, in the early stages of an emergency, are responsible for the protection and preservation of life, property, evidence and the environment.” This would include paramedics, police officer, firefighters, doctors and nurses, medical-evacuation pilots, emergency managers, roads-maintenance personnel and military personnel. The Ontario Legislature proclaimed May 1 as First Responders Day in 2013, and county council followed suit with the opportunity to recognize the vital contributions provided by Northumberland first responders.
Emergency Preparedness Week (May 2-8) is seen as an opportunity to raise community awareness about the need to prepare for the possibility of an emergency, and urges citizens to contact their municipal offices for emergency-preparedness information.
Safety and Health Week (May 2-8) focuses on employers, employees, partners and members of the public to stress the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community.
