The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration will gather with families from across the country to honor loved ones who have lost their lives on the job during its national Workers Memorial program.

Families who have lost a loved one – whether recently or in years past – are invited to the department’s Washington headquarters to attend this year’s ceremony recognizing our fallen workers and serving as their voice to help prevent other families from experiencing such a loss.

This year’s featured speaker, Christopher Pabon, will share the story of his stepfather, Angel Luis Rivera of Orlando, Fla. In 2023, Rivera was fatally injured in a workplace incident after he fell less than six feet while working on a generator exhaust system.

Rivera was a devoted husband, father, and friend who lived with empathy and unwavering love for his family, and who found great joy in fishing, cooking, and traveling with those closest to him. Memories of his life, like those of thousands of workers who are fatally injured from a job-related incident, reflect the lasting toll these losses take on families and communities – and remind us that we must continue to work together to ensure everyone returns home safe each day.

The Workers Memorial program will begin at 1 p.m. EDT on April 23, at the department’s headquarters. Following the event, there will be a wreath laying ceremony in Veteran’s Plaza on the department’s grounds. Both programs will be livestreamed for those who are unable to join in person.

The day’s events will conclude with OSHA’s first candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. 

OSHA will host Workers Memorial events throughout the week of April 20-24, including safety and health trainings, panel discussions, and interactive exhibits, to bring awareness and educate employers and workers to prevent future workplace tragedies. OSHA’s Workers Memorial page has a list of events and information on how to sign up for them.

“Every American deserves a safe work environment,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “At the Department of Labor, we are committed to Putting American Workers First by ensuring they have the protections they deserve. These events provide an opportunity to honor the lives of those who went to work and did not return safely home, and to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safety in the workplace.”

Observed annually on April 28, Workers Memorial Day also marks a pivotal moment in workplace safety, commemorating the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which established OSHA. Learn more about Workers Memorial Day events happening nationwide.