On April 28 we celebrate the World Day for Steel Security which coincides with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work from the International Labor Organization. (ILO)

The celebration of the World Day for Steel Security began in 1985 when the World Steel Association established this date with the goal of promoting security in the steel industry to make conscious of the importance of keeping a safe and healthy work environment for workers. Since then, this date has become an annual reminder of the importance of workplace safety, not only in the steel industry but in all industries in which workers are exposed to labor risks.

The Day for Steel Security commemorates the victims of labor accidents related to the Steel Industry. This date was chosen in order to remember the explosion of a mine in West Virginia, that happened in 1968, and the lives of 78 miners were lost.

This incident became a point of inflection in terms of security in the mining and steel industry, which resulted in a series of reforms and regulations with the goal of improving work conditions in these industries. This disaster happened due to the accumulation of toxic gases in the mine not being detected on time, resulting in a massive fatal explosion for most of the workers at the mine.

Since this tragedy, the American government enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970, which established norms and regulations looking to improve the safety and health of workers. This act was later used to create the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency that is in charge of making sure the safety and health regulations are met.

According to World Steel, work at heights has been the number one cause of deaths and severe injuries in the last decade, so this date represents a good chance to reflect and act on the most important objective: eliminate severe injuries and deaths for workers in the industry.