Workplace Safety Tips for Parents

Tips
Remind your children that by law they have basic rights, including:
1. The Right to Know what hazards there are in their workplace and what to do to prevent injuries from those hazards.
2. The Right to Participate in health and safety activities in their workplace without fear of discipline.
3. The Right to Refuse work that they reasonably believe can be dangerous to themselves or others.

They also have responsibilities, including:
1. Work Safely: they must use all machinery and equipment the way they were trained, and in a proper way.
2. Report Hazards: if they know Ontario’s health and safety laws are not being followed, or they suspect a hazard, they must report the circumstances to their supervisor or employer as soon as possible.
3. Use or Wear Protective Devices: they must not remove a guard or device designed toprotect them. Tell them to wear their safety gear – it’s the law!

Many parents assume their teen
… works in a safe environment
You should know that every year in Ontario, more than 50,000 young workers age 24 and under report injuries received on the job. In a three-year period, 39 young workers died as a result of workplace injuries
… has received proper health and safety training from their employer
The only way for you to really know is to ask your child directly. 56% of young
workers surveyed reported that they had not received any training before taking on
a new task.

… will tell them if they think their workplace is unsafe

Young workers are usually afraid to speak up; they fear their parents’ interference
may jeopardize their jobs. Encourage them to talk to their supervisor and health
and safety representative.

Who’s looking after your children now?
Remember how carefully you looked after your children when they were small – making sure they were buckled into a car seat properly, that they wore their helmets when biking or roller-blading, that
they got enough rest and ate properly, that they didn’t talk to strangers? Those children currently have jobs, or will have shortly.

Who’s making sure they're safe now?

Most parents don't realize the need to be concerned about health and safety in the workplace, because they assume their children will be safe at work or that someone is looking out for them. Most teenagers are eager to get out into the work world and earn some money. They have a lot to offer but, realistically, they are new, inexperienced and anxious to please. being injured for. Fingers, eyes and your life cannot be replaced. New jobs can always be found. If your teenagers are already working, it's important to find out as much as possible about the conditions in which they work. Talk to them about their jobs – not just the pay and benefits, but about the actual tasks they take on. Use your built-in parent radar to detect potential risks and ask about how safety is handled on the job. Help prevent workplace injuries. Let your teens know that you want them to say “no” to unsafe work and that you'll support them in that decision. As the saying goes – better safe than sorry! For this reason, they may be hesitant to ask questions on the job, and fear being looked upon as being “stupid.” Start talking to your teens about job safety when they start looking for work. Encourage them to ask about safety procedures when they go to a job interview. Tell them they should expect to get safety training when they start a new job and shouldn't be afraid to walk away from a job if they feel they won't be safe. Remind them that no job or rate of pay is worth.


Questions to ask your teen
Was safety orientation training and information on rules of the workplace provided by your boss? Does your supervisor work in or near your work area? Does your supervisor provide on-the-job performance feedback, including information and advice on how to work safely? Do you report concerns to your supervisor and do you feel comfortable doing so? What tasks do you normally perform at work? Familiarize yourself with the place they work, the people and the jobs they perform. Ask around and make sure you're comfortable that it's a safe place to be. (You wouldn't be the first parent to show up at your teen's workplace!) Are you tired at work? Keep an eye on the balance in your teenager's life. It’s a fact that teens develop cognitively and physically into their early 20s, so they have an increased need for sleep. A hurried cycle of full-time school, homework, social life and work (especially more than a few hours on the weekend) combined with a lack of rest can create fatigue, leading to poor performance in school and an increased risk of injury at work and while driving. Do you have to climb or work at heights? Do you lift and carry heavy objects? If the answer is yes, ask how they were trained and what equipment they use to do these things safely. Do you know what kind of protective equipment to wear and have you been trained to use it properly? You wouldn’t let your kids out the door to play hockey without full gear, so don’t let them go to work without any safety equipment the employer requires them to wear or bring to work (safety shoes, protective eyewear, a hairnet). Do you work with chemicals? Have you received training in their proper use? WHMIS training must be provided to workers using chemicals. Ask if they know about labels and material safety data sheets. Do you know that it is important for you to report to your supervisor any injury you receive? If your teen is injured on the job, know that compensation for injured workers isn’t only for older workers. Check with the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board at www.wsib.on.ca or 1-800-387-0750 to find out about your teen’s rights.

 

Age Matters
Minimum Age Requirements for Working in Ontario
14 years old Establishments such as offices, stores, arenas, and restaurant serving areas.
15 years old Factories (other than logging operations), restaurant kitchens and warehouses.
16 years old Construction, a surface mine (except the working face); logging operations; mining plants.
18 years old Underground mining or a working face of a surface mine; window cleaning.

For more information for parents about the law and safety for young workers, go to:
www.worksmartontario.gov.on.ca and www.youngworker.ca
If you need help with a concern about safety in your teen's workplace, call the local office of the Ontario Ministry of Labour (listed in the blue pages of your phone book) or 1-800-268-8013.

Information from: http://www.lisgar.ca/documents/Employment_parents_tips.pdf