Healthy Workplace

1. Healthy Workplace Planning 10 Mrs. Kersten December 10, 2004

2. Overview • Answers to youth in the work place quiz • Rights and responsibilities in the work place • Review and video prep

3. Young workers have the same risk on the job as other workers…. • False! • Young workers between the ages 15 and 24 are particularly vulnerable to work-related injuries. • They typically lack the judgment of what’s safe and what’s not. • Young workers are at the greatest risk of getting injured during their first six months of work.

4. Only jobs in industries such as construction and forestry are dangerous for young workers…. • False! • Most of British Columbia’s youth work in restaurants, supermarkets, and retail stores and these are the sectors where the highest rate of injury occurs.

5. Injuries to young workers are usually major ones… • True! • There are injuries to young workers such as sprains, cuts, and bruises…however they also suffer from severe injuries—fractures, dislocations. • Additionally they can and do suffer from very serious injuries such as amputations, broken backs, and third-degree burns. • Serious injuries to young workers most commonly occur in the restaurant industry.

6. Young workers don’t have any health and safety rights on the job….. • False! • All workers in BC are protected by the Workers Compensation Act. • This legislation says employers must provide all employees with a safe workplace, adequate training and supervision, and properly maintained equipment. • Workers have the right to refuse work if they believe the task or conditions are unsafe.

7. Only the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) can guarantee workplace safety…. • False! • Keeping young workers safe is a shared responsibility. • Employers, unions, co-workers, parents, educators, youth, the community, and the WCB all have a part to play.

8. Rights and responsibilities…. • What are your rights and responsibilities at school? List at least five for each in your notebook. • How do some of these rights and responsibilities apply to the workplace? • Where might you be able to find out more information about workplace rights and responsibilities?

9. Information on workplace rights…. • Employment centres • School or community career centres • WCB • Supervisor and/or health and safety committee/safety representative • Public Library • Online sources of work safety information

10. Task—Rights and Responsibilities • Get with a partner • Fill in what you think are the rights and responsibilities for workers and employers on the handout. • When finished, come up to the board and share one thing from each section.

11. Review….. • Do young workers have the same risk of injury on the job as other workers? • When are young workers at the greatest risk of getting injured on the job? • What are some severe injuries that can occur to young workers? • What industry do most of the serious injuries most commonly occur?

12. Review continued… • Whose responsibility is it to keep young workers safe on the job? • What should you do if you think a task or the conditions are unsafe at your workplace? • What are some of your rights and responsibilities as an employee? • What are some of the rights and responsibilities of an employer?

13. Video • Video is 18 minutes long • It is very graphic and realistic • If you feel uncomfortable during the video, you may be excused