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(Kael Clark)
STEPS FOR LIFE

$20,000 raised for families affected by workplace fatalities and injuries

May 5, 2019 | 6:27 AM

Red Deer’s annual Steps for Life event raised close to $20,000 on Saturday with North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week kicking off Sunday.

Participants, as well as 30 volunteers, made sure the walk at Bower Ponds went smoothly, despite the cold and snowy weather.

“The intent of all the volunteer help that we get is to raise awareness for workplace tragedy and illness,” said Chris Banbury, an event committee member and employee with NOVA Chemicals.

“There are close to 1000 people every year, on average in Canada, impacted by workplace fatalities. This is one of the flagship fundraisers for an organization called Threads of Life which supports families impacted by those tragedies.”

According to the most recent statistics from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, there were 951 Canadian workplace fatalities in 2017. Among those, 23 were aged 15-24.

There were an additional 251,508 claims made in 2017 for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease.

Across Canada, Steps for Life events this year have raised more than $635,000.

NAOSH Week runs May 5-11.