It’s that time of year again; school is out for the summer! Students will be flooding the work force and seeking out full or part time positions during the break. Although that sounds normal because a majority of the population held a job as a youth, there are a few important key points to be aware of. Did you know that new and young workers in Ontario are three times more likely to be injured during their first month on the job than at any other time? Between 2012 and 2016, 30 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents, according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics. On April 27th Courageous – My Safe Work held an event in Longboat Hall to shed light on these facts to our youth.
At the age of 18, David Ellis was killed in a workplace accident. He was given limited training and no supervision. It was his second day on the job. After his death, David’s father, Rob Ellis, started MySafeWork, a not-for-profit organization and registered charity.
Emcee Raymond Ablack, Rob Ellis and guest speakers took time to educate young and new workers on safe work environments and their right to refuse to work if they feel unqualified for the appointed task. Injuries can result from inadequate training, orientation, and supervision; a lack of awareness and workplace rights and responsibilities also plays a huge part. Rob encourages our youth to ask questions, request proper training and to acknowledge when a situation is unsafe and that it’s ok to ask for help. Check out more about Courageous here.
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