Safety Training For Young Workers

When James Wright was 18 years old, he began his tinsmith apprenticeship. Merely two weeks later, he fell 55 feet from a ladder and is now paralyzed from the waist down. He was fortunate not to lose his life, but James is now paralyzed from the waist down and will now suffer from permanent chronic pain.

James is one of many young workers who have been seriously injured at work. 

There is no doubt that the workplace has the potential to be a hazardous place. In just the blink of an eye, an accident or incident can suddenly happen. 

In this article, we will talk about how young workers can be particularly vulnerable and at risk. The fact is, most accidents are preventable and could be avoided with proper preparation and training.

As an employer, you especially need to encourage your young workers to be more safety-minded and training is a must. Particularly is this necessary if the work environment is one where your workers are often expected to do hazardous tasks. To help your young workers be more safety aware and avoid accidents proper training is needed.

At Expert Safety Solutions, we proudly partner with many school boards to give their students the proper foundations to be able to be safe at work. Our instructors are praised for their ability to really connect with your students and reinforce why being part of a safety culture is truly a life and death matter. Learn more about working with us here.

Why focus on young workers’ safety?

There are several factors that make young workers, as a specific group, more susceptible to harm in the workplace. Some might say that it is wrong to talk about the limitations of young workers just because of their age but the statistics don’t lie. These show that many risk factors are age-related. 

It is important for you to be aware that your young workers are more at risk in the workplace because they are still developing physically and emotionally. Also, as a general rule, young workers will probably have fewer skills, be less experienced, and be at a disadvantage because of a lack of training.

Here are a few facts for you to keep in mind to understand why young workers are often at greater risk:

Physical development

Teenagers, in particular, are still developing physically and mentally and this reality puts them at a higher risk of injury. To give a very specific example, the way a young person’s body reacts to substances they breathe in is different from an older person. This means they will absorb more toxins if they get exposed to chemicals like pesticides, carcinogens, and allergens.

Brain development

It is a scientific fact that certain parts of your brain do not develop fully until you are in your mid-twenties. This part of the brain that needs time to develop more fully in young ones is the area that deals with things like planning, paying full attention, and working memory. All these are very important for being safety conscious.)

Why should you be concerned about these points? It is good to always keep in mind that young, adolescent workers are still developing physically.

Then there are also some basic concerns about the physical environment at work to keep in mind. For example, when young workers have to use the equipment and tools that are designed for adult bodies to use. This is something for you as an employer to take into consideration because these tools and machines that are difficult for young workers to use can increase the risk of them getting injured at work.

What about emotional factors? What emotional factors do you need to consider with your young workers? Take note of the following points:

• Young workers are generally slower to see ahead of time the possible negative consequences of their unsafe actions at work.
• Young workers also tend to find it more difficult to make an accurate assessment of risks in a given situation.
• Young workers are more easily influenced by pressure from their workmates and a desire to fit in and be liked.
• Young workers may be slow to speak up or be afraid to ask questions about a job they are asked to do.

These tendencies that young people have can affect the decisions that they make at work and these decisions can lead to risk-taking behavior.

Training young workers

It is an employer's responsibility to give the right amount and the right sort of training to young workers before they start caring for the responsibilities of their position. They need to receive this training in advance. You should also continue to send them for refresher courses to make sure they stay up to date with the latest safety standards.

It may come as a surprise, but 1 in 5 young employees in Canada reported having safety training on the job. That is far too few and is frankly unacceptable.

The training that employers need to provide for young workers can include:

·         Knowledge of the health and safety policy of the company

·         The personal responsibilities and rights of the individual worker

·         Workplace hazards

·         Measures for risk control

·         Clear guidance on what to do and who to talk to if faced with a potentially hazardous situation at work

Expert Safety Solutions offer the professional safety training courses outlined below and these are recommended for young workers: (depending on your local legislation some of these courses may be mandatory)

Working at Heights

The Working at Heights Training Program Standard provides quality training in the core competencies required for Working at Heights. The course focuses on strengthening the culture of safety in the workplace as well as giving general hazard and safety training. It also gives specific training related to working at heights including such topics as the importance of fall prevention and fall protection equipment, its purpose, and use.

Participants in the course are assessed by both a written and hands-on evaluation. The instructor’s end-of-segment reviews are followed by a quiz that is passed on to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. On completion, a certificate from the MLTSD is issued to those that pass.

WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System)

Created for the prevention of accidents, by communicating information about hazardous material, the WHMIS 2015 GHS system is the national standard. A lack of awareness about and the failure to control hazardous materials has resulted in greater instances of occupational illness. The WHMIS course is mandatory for all those who are required to use hazardous materials at work.

Construction safety

The Expert Safety Solutions construction safety course is designed to educate construction industry workers so that they acquire an overall awareness of worksite health and safety to prevent accidents. Working in construction, a notoriously hazardous industry, requires special training to ensure safety. The course is based on OHSA construction project regulations.

Tool specific

Power tools, for example, can present a serious threat to the safety of individuals and if used incorrectly they are extremely hazardous. Each day in Ontario, there is an average of one fatality and three amputations. There are over a thousand injuries per day, three hundred and fifteen of these resulting in lost time.

For this reason, all employees that directly use or work around power tools and hand tools should enroll in this or another tool-specific course.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

In this course, young workers will be instructed in all aspects of the use of PPE. The course will cover the protection of both the upper and lower body. This comprehensive course covers every detail. This is a mandatory course for many industries.

Once the course is completed the student will achieve OHS compliance and have a clear understanding of the proper use of all PPE, as it should be used according to CSA Safety standards. They will also learn how PPE should be maintained.

It is also vital for employers to have a clear policy and plan for protecting against COVID-19.

Workplace violence and harassment

It is mandatory for any business with five employees or more to put their employees through a WVHP training program.

What exactly is considered to be workplace violence? It is not limited to the use of physical force but also includes the attempt to use physical force to cause or potentially cause injury. Such behavior as threats or bullying is also considered to be workplace violence or harassment. It includes any behavior that is considered unwelcome by the recipient.

Understanding workplace safety in Ontario

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), “workers have the right to refuse work that they believe to be unsafe to themselves or to other workers. This includes instances where a worker believes they may be in danger of workplace violence.

As an employer, you are prohibited from penalizing workers for lawfully refusing to work under the Act. This includes disciplining, dismissing, suspending or threatening the worker with consequences.”

What is the procedure for refusing work according to law? This is an important question that both you and your young worker should know the answer to.

First of all the worker has to report to you or one of the supervisors that they feel the work they have been asked to do is unsafe. Once this is done you must then look into the situation with the worker and an official health and safety representative.

Once the situation is resolved the worker will be able to go back to work. If the situation is more complicated and cannot be resolved in this way, the next step is to contact the ministry of labor. Doing this is your responsibility as an employer.

Empowering youth to promote work safety

For young workers, the workplace may be an environment that they find scary and overwhelming. This fact combined with their general lack of experience and other limitations having to do with their youth means that young workers need to be empowered to promote safety at work, how can this be accomplished?

A big factor in accomplishing this goal is to make sure that you give your young workers proper training. The safety training provided by Expert Safety Solutions will make young workers more aware of potentially dangerous work situations. Our instructors possess the safety knowledge, experience, and expertise. This training can open the eyes of the student and completely change their perspective.

At Expert Safety Solutions’, we want young workers to walk away with more than a certificate - we give them a heightened sense of responsibility toward their safety and the safety of others in the workplace. Our instructors have been praised for their ability to connect with this specific group and we are privileged to work with many school boards.

If you want safety training that provides young people with the tools and skills they need for a long future in the workplace, contact us today. Our team will be more than happy to talk about our training options for young and new workers.