BWI Action Call: International Workers' Memorial Day – 28 April 2025 

On the 28th of April, International Workers' Memorial Day, BWI continues to highlight urgent Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) issues. We fight for a living and remember those we have lost by: 

• Exposing the rising number of fatalities in the construction sector. 
• Strengthening the Heat Stress Campaign —advocating for the right to stop work, proper protections, and fair compensation. 
• Calling for the ratification of ILO Conventions 155 and 167. 
• Supporting the groundbreaking Biological Hazards Convention negotiations. 
• Raising awareness of the newly revised ILO Codes of Practice for Health and Safety—one for Construction (2022) and another for Forestry (2024). 

Finally, we are launching the STOP Deadly Dust Campaign to spotlight the often silent killers of workers in our sectors. 

STOP Deadly Dust Campaign 

The campaign sheds light on silent killers yet often overlooked hazards in our sectors: silica and wood dust exposure. 

In the construction and building materials sectors, silicosis—a preventable but incurable lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust—has surged despite longstanding awareness.  

The rise in engineered stone usage has had devastating consequences. In Australia, nearly one in four engineered-stone workers employed before 2018 have developed silicosis or other silica-related diseases. Some workers in their 30s have died after just two years of exposure. 

In parallel, forestry and wood workers continue to suffer from wood dust exposure—an often-overlooked occupational hazard linked to lung diseases, respiratory disorders, and cancer. 

Together, we call for: 

• A complete ban on high-silica-content materials. 
• A strict regulatory framework, including exposure limits to both wood and silica dust and mandatory engineering controls. 
• Stronger worker protections, including compensation and long-term support for affected workers. 

To spread further knowledge about these hazards, read our resource material to support national campaigns. Silica and Wood Dust are available here.

Take Action to commemorate 28 April by: 

1. Mobilising Workers 

• Conduct workshops and training on silica and wood dust risks and safety protocols. 
• Empower workers to report unsafe practices and demand enforcement of safety measures. 
• Organise mass rallies and demonstrations targeting companies with poor safety records. 
• Hold candlelight vigils and commemorations for workers who got lost or injured on the job. 
• Arrange toolbox talks and health and safety training at worksites. 

2. Launching Public Campaigns 

• Initiate a national STOP Deadly Dust or HEAT stress campaigns to highlight workplace health risks and pressure policymakers to act. 
• Encourage consumers to choose safer materials, pushing manufacturers to innovate. 
• Use media and social platforms to amplify workers' voices who are exposed hazardous conditions. 

3. Partnering with Health Experts 

• Collaborate with medical professionals to document and publicise cases of silicosis and dust-related illnesses. 
• Support research on safer alternatives and advocate for workers' long-term health monitoring. 

4. Lobbying for Regulatory Change 

• Engage governments to ban high-silica-content materials. 
• Advocate for stricter exposure limits and mandatory engineering controls. 
• Push for enforceable worker protections, including employer accountability and compensation. 

Share Your Actions & Get Featured 

Tell us how you're taking part! Share your plans with your regional coordinator, and we will feature them on www.28april.org. Document your actions during the Week of Action and share them by: 

• Taking photos and videos 
• Issuing press releases 
• Downloading our posters.
• Posting on social media. Use our hashtags: #IWMD25 #StopDeadlyDust 

Let's prioritise worker safety over profit and ensure that no one loses their life because of work.  

United, we can make workplaces safer for all.