Itasca, IL - Each year, more than 5,000 people are killed and more than four million people suffer disabling injuries on the job. These victims are being remembered today on Wednesday, April 28, Workers Memorial Day.

"The National Safety Council urges all Americans to take time today to honor workers who lost their lives or were injured on the job," said NSC President Alan McMillan. "On Workers Memorial Day, we rededicate ourselves to protecting workers in American workplaces. Workplace injuries and illnesses can be prevented. While we are making great progress in reducing workplace injuries and illnesses, much more can be done.

"Each of us shares a responsibility to work safely in our daily lives," he said. "Employers and business leaders have a special obligation to ensure that the core human value of safety and health is firmly rooted in their organizations," he said. "Anyone in a leadership role must recognize that striving for excellence in safety and health is not just the right thing to do, it's good business."

Workers Memorial Day is observed annually to coincide with the date of the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1971. Trade unionists around the world now mark April 28 as an International Day of Mourning.

The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads, through leadership, research, education and advocacy.