2006 truely filled with the death of the American worker from begining to end
This year began with workplace incidents which ended in trgedy - an explsion at the Sago mine in West Virginia that claimed the lives of 12 coal miners. It was not the only tradgedy to come from the mines. Both here in America and in Canada as well there were workers killed in mines due to explosions and faulty or missing protective and rescue equipment. The year closed out with the explosion and worker deaths at FALK Corp. right here in Milwaukee WI. The investigation into that incident is ongoing, although, little is mentioned of it anymore on the news.
But the workers killed at FALK were not the last to die on the job in 2006. There were some deaths a few days later, but they didn't make the fantastic headlines of the city shaking explosion. And that seems to be the norm now. Workers being killed on the job hardly makes a wave unless it's tied to some "greater" misfortune. And it seems that no one pays much attention when it is reported. And so it quickly fades from the publics conscience.
Nor were these the only WI workers killed n the job. Some have been sent far from home to fight for their country. Many with much less training than necessary to be able to survive. The call it "on the job training" and it's even more deadly for our military personnel than for those of us that experience it here in the workplace. WisCOSH and Wisconsin's workers remember those who have given their all.
If you have lost a loved one to occupational illness or a death in the workplace and are looking for some help figuring out what to do and who to contact the United Support and Memorial for Workplace Fatalities may be of help. This non-profit organization is run by a woman and her family, who lost her brother to a workplace fatality along with many others who've also lost family and friends to workplace incidents. They provide support, awareness, tributes, memorials, article, self-help, workers comp. laws, wrongful death attorneys and safety resources. And most of all they care! They listen!
For more information about the workers listed below hover your pointer over the name and a window will open with what WisCOSH knows.
If you have a name of someone who died on the job in 2006, please forward it to WisCOSH so that we may include it in our memorial. Please include the date, city/town and cause if you know it.
