North Lanarkshire Council will commemorate Workers' Memorial Day on April 28 with flags on council buildings being flown at half mast.

Workers' Memorial Day is an international day of remembrance for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. It is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and ill health, and to support campaigns that promote improvements in workplace safety.

The council will also create a permanent memorial within the Summerlee Heritage Park in Coatbridge. The main exhibition hall at Summerlee is about to undergo a major refurbishment and a memorial plaque to workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work will be included as part of the new displays relating to the area's industrial past.

North Lanarkshire Provost Pat Connelly said:

"The council supports the principles of the Workers' Memorial Day and we want to play our part in paying tribute to those that the day commemorates. We also felt it was important to have a lasting memorial in North Lanarkshire, and the new exhibition area at Summerlee Heritage Park seems a fitting location for this special plaque. I look forward to seeing the memorial when it is unveiled."

Summerlee is scheduled to re-open to the public in spring 2008.

The Memorial Day originated in Canada in 1985 by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Since then it has been recognised by many countries and organisations to include the Scottish TUC and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).