JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Northeast Florida Safety Council honored 14 people from the community who lost their lives at a workplace last year.
The Workers Memorial Ceremony, held Friday morning at the N.E. FL Safety Council office, featured a military honor guard with bell ringing as the names of the 2017 workers were read, along with a bagpipe tribute. Purple ribbons decorated 14 empty chairs representing the lost workers.
Tragedy on the job happens more often than people realize. The most common workplace injury comes from falls. In 2016, 22 lost their lives. In 2015, 33 El Faro workers lost their lives when their Jacksonville-based cargo ship sank during a hurricane in the Caribbean
Frank Hamm was among the 33 crew members aboard the El Faro. His widow, Rochelle Hamm, attended Friday’s memorial and shared a powerful statement.
"The message was always clear. Let's not let this happen again. If we can educate everyone on the importance of safe work practices, then she feels she's making a difference," said Shana Harvey, with Northeast Florida Safety Council.
This is a message Harvey hopes will go viral.
While we can't bring them back, by sharing their stories, the hope moving forward is to save lives.
Take the Pledge
Whether your job puts you behind the wheel or takes you to a construction site, making sure you're safe at work is a priority for the safety council.
They hope to prevent more work-related deaths by urging the public to take their pledge to stay safe on the job. Making good decisions and following guidelines is important, said the safety council.
"You get up in the morning, you put your shoes on, you go to work, you expect to come home to your family, and you expect to come home to your children. That is what we're trying to aim," said Harvey.
A community effort is needed to cut down on these tragedies. You can be a part of that effort by visiting Northeast Florida Safety Council and taking the pledge.
The safety council is challenging everyone to download the #ipledgesafety sign, print it out, take a picture of them holding it, and share it on social media.