Safety for Young Workers

Why That First Pay Cheque Comes With Real Risk

Their first job – it’s an exciting and proud moment in a parent’s life when their child starts their first job. What a great way to spend the summer – earning a first pay cheque, learning new skills and preparing for the future. But have you or your child stopped to think and question – how safe are they on the job?

What Every Young Worker Must Be Trained On

No matter what the age, people can get injured at work, but young and new workers have an even higher risk. Over 50% of all incidents involving young workers occur during their first 6 months on the job. This increase can be attributed to a lack of training, inadequate management, unfamiliarity with their surroundings and the lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities on the job. When starting a new or a first job, the following items are the crucial safety procedures any new employee should be provided with in order to protect themselves on the job:

• Job Hazards: any hazard at the job or pertaining to the tasks or work the employee performs should be reviewed.
• Tool and Equipment Safe Practices: proper safety practices and use of equipment or tools to complete the work should be provided and taught to any new employee.
• Safe Lifting and Handling Techniques: should an employee be dealing with large or heavy materials, proper safe lifting and moving techniques need to be taught. If the handling or storing of hazardous materials is any part of the job, the proper procedures for safe working with such items must be provided, monitored and maintained.
• Safety Orientation: a basic safety orientation should be provided to any new employee at any job. This orientation should cover the minimal training on the company’s safety policies, emergency exits within a building, the location of fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and AEDs, the muster point, company security procedure and any other safety measures specific to the job at hand.
• Near Miss, Accident and Injury Reporting: details on how, what and who to report any safety concerns on the job must be communicated to all employees.

When a Young Worker Is Unsure, They Stop

Should an employee have questions or be unclear of any of these items at their new job, be sure to speak with the company’s Safety Officer and do not complete any further work until full training and safety measures have been put into place. Creating a safe workplace is an everyday commitment that needs to be taken seriously. Injuries and death on the job can be avoided with minimal safety training, as long as it is put into practice.

How Alberta Employers Can Get This Right

If you are an employer looking to empower your team with the most up-to-date safety training and proven strategies to create practical safety awareness that is accessible to all workers, look no further than Safety Ahead. We offer the most cost-effective, complete and easy to use solutions to all your safety needs. Think ahead...think safe!