TO DECLARE APRIL 29, 2019, AS "WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN TRIBUTE TO THE WORKING MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES.

Whereas, the working men and women of South Carolina have helped to build this State and keep the state's economy strong; and

Whereas, many workers die each year while performing their jobs, others die as the result of occupational diseases contracted or aggravated on the job, and thousands more are disabled or injured on the job, all with little or no public attention; and

Whereas, 5,190 American workers died from job-related causes as varied as falls, the collapse of trenches, and mesothelioma in 2016; and

Whereas, when these workers died, they left behind families who loved them and depended on them; and

Whereas, we continue to strive for strong safety and health measures, strong standards of enforcement, and fair and just compensation for such deaths and injuries in order to protect present workers; meanwhile, these fallen workers, as well as the many others who have gone before them, must not be forgotten. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, declare April 29, 2019, as "Workers' Memorial Day" in South Carolina as a tribute to the working men and women who have lost their lives because of workplace injuries and illnesses.