Study Finds Young Workers Worried About Injuries, Training
LABOUR Study Finds Young Workers Worried About Injuries, Training
Young workers are worried about injuries on the job and believe they don't receive enough safety training. Those are the findings of recent surveys by workers' compensation officials in British Columbia. The results confirm what Nova Scotia authorities have suspected for some time.
In 1998, more than 2,000 Nova Scotian workers between the ages of 15 and 29 were involved in workplace accidents that resulted in injury. Nationwide, there were more than 100,000 serious workplace injuries in this age group. Workers' compensation statistics show that one of every three accidents for which compensation is paid happens to a worker between these ages; those between 20 and 24 are at the most risk. The majority of these injuries occur in manufacturing, retail trade, accommodation, and food and beverage services industries.
The occupational health and safety division of the Department of Labour and the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia believe it will take a committed effort on everyone's part - workers, employers, government, unions, employer associations, parents, educators and the community - if this problem is to be improved.
"Students and other young workers face challenges in the workplace that perhaps other workers do not," said Labour Minister Angus MacIsaac. "Young workers have always been attractive to employers because of their creativity, energy and enthusiasm, but unfortunately, these same traits, combined with a lack of experience, have made them vulnerable to workplace accidents."
With reports suggesting 2000 to be a banner year for students and other young workers to find employment in Nova Scotia, Mr. MacIsaac believes all stakeholders must make workplace health and safety a priority for young workers.
"Young workers are a valuable component of our present and future workforce in Nova Scotia," said Mr. MacIsaac. "Preventing workplace injuries is the responsibility of all stakeholders, and it will take a committed effort to ensure that their future isn't jeopardized."
The surveys in British Columbia consisted of a series of focus groups with young workers, employers, parents, labour and industry representatives and a combined group of educators and youth counselors, followed by a quantitative survey of more than 500 young workers. The research was undertaken to explore the level of concern about workplace injuries, determine the reasons young workers are more likely to face injury and to explore ways to address the problem.
The findings of the surveys support what many occupational health and safety authorities in Nova Scotia have believed to be the nature of the problem. Its major findings were that young workers tend to exhibit a sense of invincibility towards the workplace, are unwilling to question authority and have a tendency to take risks. Furthermore, young workers are generally not aware of their rights concerning workplace health and safety.
"This survey has confirmed many of our beliefs about the problem and it has strengthened our conviction that prevention and education will be key components of our efforts to address it," said Mr. MacIsaac.
A recent Ontario court ruling has brought to light the seriousness of workplace health and safety for both employers and young workers. An Ontario judge sentenced a former supervisor, part-owner and director of a cookie manufacturing company to jail for his part in a workplace accident that resulted in the 1998 death of 18-year-old David Ellis. It was David's second day on the job at a cookie manufacturer; he was working to save money for his university education. This marked only the third time in Ontario a jail term was handed out for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The Department of Labour has a number of resources and information available to help young workers stay safe on the job.