Fallen Workers Ceremony Honored 96 Ohio Workers
"I am humbled and honored to join the entire state of Ohio in grieving for Ohio's fallen workers. As we mourn the losses of Ohio workers during this past year, we need to put our faith in a safer and more secure work environment for each and every Ohio worker," said Phil Fulton, an injured worker representative and attorney.
The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation recently paid tribute to 96 Ohioans who died as a result of a workplace illness or accident. The annual Fallen Workers Memorial took place Aug. 30, with BWC Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison leading the remembrance in Columbus, Ohio. "We mourn as we hear the tolling of the bell and the names of the men and women who lost their lives fulfilling their job duties," she said. "We'll think of them and their families all year as we pursue our mission of creating a culture of safety across the state to prevent more tragedies in the future."
Other participants in the ceremony included Phil Fulton, an injured worker representative and attorney; BWC Board of Directors Chairman Nicholas Zuk; and board members Michael P. Taylor and Peggy Griffith. Griffith recited the poem "Memorial for Workers."
"I am humbled and honored to join the entire state of Ohio in grieving for Ohio's fallen workers," Fulton said. "As we mourn the losses of Ohio workers during this past year, we need to put our faith in a safer and more secure work environment for each and every Ohio worker."
The 96 names were read by Freddie Johnson, BWC's chief of medical services, and BWC employees Martha Clifford, SEIU Local 1199 Delegate; and Tia Valentine, OCSEA Delegate. Taylor ended the ceremony with three tolls of BWC's Memorial Bell.
Each year's ceremony honors workers whose death claims were approved by the bureau since the previous ceremony. The 2018 roll of the fallen includes 53 allowed claims with dates of death in the last policy year (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018), as well as 43 allowed claims with dates of death that fell within the two-year filing period and were not included in previous memorials.