Blog Post #934 – WSIB Focuses on Young Employees

Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) kick started its annual workplace-safety campaign targeting of people entering the workforce in summer.

Encouraging empowerment and questioning that youthful sense of invincibility are the drivers behind the WSIB’s 2018 Practice Safe Work campaign, which runs from June 25, 2018 until August 12, 2018. The campaign includes a series of videos to underscore the message that even “model” employees can get hurt at work. “When talking to young people about safety in the workplace, combating invincibility is critical,” says WSIB chair Elizabeth Witmer.

The campaign encourages parents to discuss with their children their rights and responsibilities regarding workplace safety. It also provides a website, www.practicesafework.ca, that hosts information on the questions parents and kids can ask employers, what to do in the case of an injury and an overview of the three basic rates is laid out in the Occupational Health & Safety Act. The website also navigates to Compass, a WSIB tool that records the safety rating of any business in Ontario covered by the WSIB, so the parents can check out the safety records of their child’s employer.

Approximately 9300 young people under 24 were injured at work during the summer months in 2017.

My opinion

The province of Ontario realized, quite a while ago, that our children do not receive adequate safety training and are injured and are hurt more often that at any other age bracket in the workforce.

Below is another excerpt from the Ministry of Labour (MOL) website discussing the facts more closely.

Workers new to a job are three times more likely to be injured during the first month on the job than more experienced workers.

“Young workers” are under the age of 25. “New workers” can be of any age who are on the job for less than six months or who are assigned to a new job.

Between 2011 and 2015, 33 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents, according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics. In 2015, five young workers died.

Between 2011 and 2015, the WSIB approved 31,689 lost-time claims from young workers. In 2015 alone, injuries to young workers resulted in more than 6,400 lost-time claims. More than 60 per cent (4,072) of those claims were from male workers.

In 2015, many of the injured young workers aged 15 to 19 years old were food counter attendants and kitchen helpers. Many of the injured young workers aged 20 to 24 years old were labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities.

Ensure your workplace is a safe place.

Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”

HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Due Diligence’ and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.

We can also be reached at 

‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.

Daniel L. Beal

CHSEP – Advanced Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.

 

 

Leave a Comment