In 2021, 5,190 workers died on the job across the United States, including 97 workers in Massachusetts. Each day, 14 people suffer work-related deaths.

These numbers remind us of the dangers many workers face. Behind them are people who mourn each loss. For them, they are their loved ones: parents, children, siblings, relatives, friends, co-workers.

For those left behind, the day on which they lost their loved one becomes a sad anniversary. Graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special times are forever tainted.

To pay tribute to those whose jobs claimed their lives, in Massachusetts and elsewhere, we commemorate Workers Memorial Day on April 28. It gives all of us an opportunity to pause and join those families, friends, and co-workers in recalling those who suffered work-related injuries and illnesses and recognize the grief that their survivors face in the days, months, and years after.

Workers Memorial Day also reminds us that more must be done to prevent workplace deaths and injuries. For those of us at the US Department of Labor and, specifically, its Occupational Safety and Health Administration, this annual commemoration reinforces our commitment to developing and enforcing standards and initiatives to safeguard workers and guide employers as they work to provide safe workplaces.

Remember, we all have a role to play in making sure that our nation’s workplaces do not endanger our safety and health. If you see people exposed to workplace dangers, don’t ignore your concerns. Alert the employer or contact your local OSHA office here in Massachusetts or a law enforcement agency.

Demand that the stores you frequent, the companies that get your business, and those you hire don’t endanger the people they employ. If they do, take your business to those who respect their workers’ rights at a safe and healthy workplace. Don’t put profit ahead of the lives of the people who help them earn it.

On Workers Memorial Day 2023, we remembered those who didn’t return home after work and committed ourselves to making sure that no one is forced to trade a life for a paycheck.

Galen Blanton is the OSHA Regional Administrator in Boston, covering New England.