Workplace Challenges
Protecting young workersThe statistics are alarming. Young workers aged 15 to 24 accounted for one in five of Ontario's lost-time and no-lost-time WSIB claims between 2000 and 2004. In that same time period, 60 young workers were killed on the job. LINDA WHITE |
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 [ 2006-05-26 ] |
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Randy George was just 18 when he landed a job in the kitchen of a restaurant. After being instructed to pour cooking oil through a filter to clean it, something he had never done before, he asked for a safety apron and gloves. He was told they weren't necessary.
The boiling oil spilled, splashing all over him. He suffered third-degree burns on his neck, chest, hands, stomach, groin and feet. He didn't know at the time that he had the right to refuse unsafe work.
Trista Hughes will never forget being called to the principal's office and told her brother, Dylan, was killed at work. "He was backing up on the forklift one day and the ramp gave out underneath him," she says. "The forklift fell and he fell out of it. It ended up landing on him and crushing his chest."
Those two stories are at the heart of the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board's (WSIB) Young Worker Safety Awareness Campaign, launched this month. It's designed to make youth more aware of workplace risks and educate them about their rights and responsibilities, as well as those of their employers.
"WSIB's vision is to completely eliminate injuries and illnesses in the workplace," says Wayne Thompson, acting vice-president of Prevention. "It's a vision that's attainable if every person believes that every injury is preventable and unacceptable. Far too many believe injuries are inevitable."
Today's young workers will be tomorrow's business owners, supervisors and CEOs. Thompson hopes the lessons they learn today will help WSIB achieve its vision. "By the time they're in those positions, we will be dealing with a society that looks at workplace injuries the same way we look at driving without a seatbelt or driving drunk," he says.
The statistics are alarming. Young workers aged 15 to 24 accounted for one in five of Ontario's lost-time and no-lost-time WSIB claims between 2000 and 2004. In that same time period, 60 young workers were killed on the job.
Employers are accountable under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act for ensuring that workplaces are safe, but young workers have an important role to play in ensuring they stay healthy and safe at work.
Young workers are more likely to be injured within the first month on the job than any other time. Slips and falls, over-exertion, being struck by objects, exposure to hazardous chemicals and contact with hazardous materials account for most injuries.
Young workers are also injured by powerful machines they don't understand, that may not have guards to protect fingers and arms, or that may not be operated safely.
Parents have a huge role to play in educating their children. "Talk to your kids," Thompson says. "It's a parent's job to get to their kid's heart ... Every parent who has a child injured or killed on the job will say, 'If I had only known.' Parents are aware of the need to applaud their children and give them a hearty welcome to the workforce ... but please be aware that the workplace can be kind of hostile."
Safety questions
Starting a new job or just got transferred to a new position? The Young Workers Awareness Program urges you to find out the answers to the following questions:
- What are the general safety rules for this job?
- What are the hazards of this job?
- What safety training will I get? When?
- Do I need special training for tasks like operating a forklift?
- What safety gear will I need to use or wear? What training will I get on how to use and take care of it?
- Where are the fire extinguishers and emergency equipment? What training will I get in emergency procedures? When?
- Where are the emergency exits? Where is the first aid station? Who is the trained first aid person in my work area?
- Is there a Joint Health and Safety Committee or representative? Who and where is that person?
- Are there regular health and safety meetings?
-- Visit www.youngworker.ca for more information
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