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Are you protecting our Young Workers’ Health and Safety?

By Adrian David and Marcia Davis, OSSA Consultants, GTA

The statistics tell the story! In 2002, 14 young workers lost their lives while working at Ontario workplaces. In 2001, more than 50,000 young workers filed injury claims with the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Obviously there is a need for employers to improve the way new and young workers are oriented into the working world, and managed to high performance in health and safety.

Why are young workers getting injured?

Young workers have special risk factors which make them more likely to be harmed than older workers. Employers need to take these factors into account when assessing the risk associated with every task they plan to assign to a young worker. Some of the special factors to consider for young workers are the:

• limitations in physical maturity and psychological maturity;
• limited life experience;
• lack of training;
• inability to make mature judgments about their own safety and the safety of others and;
• inability to cope with unexpected, stressful situations.

For example: young workers may be at greater risk injuries from manual materials handling because their muscles are still developing; they may find it difficult to deal with violent and aggressive behaviour; and they maybe subjected to peer pressure to take on tasks that are too much for them.

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What can employers do?

Employers can start by recognizing and being aware of the risks for young workers. Ask yourself these questions:

• Have I matched the job tasks to the young worker's physical and mental maturity?
• Have I provided orientation training in safe work procedures before assigning work?
• Have I ensured that all new and young workers are closely supervised until they demonstrate that they are capable of working safely?
• Do I encourage an open line of communication about health and safety suggestions for improvement or concerns?
• Do I represent a model for the safety behaviour I expect?
• Do I consistently provide positive feedback?

Here are some additional resources to get you started:

Ontario students are now learning health and safety basics before they enter the workforce through a range of programs (Young Worker Awareness Program (YWAP), Passport to Safety are just a few examples). Reinforce these concepts in the workplace.

Order OSSA’s Dare to Care. This orientation program was created to help build health and safety awareness with new employees and managers. The program is dedicated to David Ellis, an 18 year-old, who believed that young people could have a lasting impact on making Ontario a better place to live and work.

OSSA's Invest in the Future 1/2 day workshops taking place September 22 - October 4 will provide participants with the tools and resources they need to develop an integrated orientation program, and build capacity in their workplaces for high performance in health and safety.

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