Tag Archives: young workers

Eye Protection, Fall Safety, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Protective Clothing, Respiratory Safety

YOUNGER WORKERS MUST BE SAFE ON THE JOB!

We want to share this important information with today’s young workers (those under age 25), and tell you how important you are to the future of our countries!  We have gathered information from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health.  The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA’s) main role is to protect workers from workplace hazards that can cause a serious illness or injury, as well as Canada’s OSH.  Employers have the responsibility to follow established safety and health laws and common sense safety practices that prevent tragedy. 

When you begin a new job, talk it over with your parents or someone you trust, especially if you feel you are being asked to do tasks that are unsafe.  Your parents need to know of any hazards associated with your job.  Canadian experts believe, as well as those in the U.S., that many young persons are put into the job without the proper training.  You can’t just walk onto the job and be expected to know exactly what to do without being taught the fundamentals.  You have the right to a safe workplace.  Although new jobs may be intimidating, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t rush just to impress your new boss.  You may be running a piece of equipment that an older worker has run for decades; hopefully, he will be your mentor and teach you the safe way to run it.  Pay close attention while being instructed. 

Job hazards that younger workers may experience are:  lifting objects, working at elevations, working with hot substances and objects, working with knives, operating mobile equipment or motor vehicles, working with food slicers, and /or working near running equipment and machinery.  Whether you are working in a food service industry, construction, warehouse, grocery store, or on a drilling rig, there are going to be hazards that you must be aware of and respect. 

In a letter from Dr. David Michaels, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), this sums it up, so please pay attention: 

Your Rights on the Job

Your employer must provide a workplace free of serious hazards.  Your employer must also:

  • Tell you the hazards and dangers of your job;
  • Inform you about the OSHA standards that apply to your workplace (in a language you understand);
  • Provide job safety training regarding workplace hazards and the required safety gear; (personal protective equipment)(PPE).
  • Tell you who to talk to if you have a health or safety question, and
  • Inform you what to do and who to talk to if you get hurt on the job.
  • Exercise your workplace safety rights without retaliation and discrimination; and
  • Ask OSHA to inspect your workplace. 

Ways to Stay Safe on the Job

  • To help protect yourself, you can:
  • Report unsafe conditions to your supervisor, parent, teacher or other adult that can help.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.
  • Wear any personal protective equipment provided to do your job.
  • Follow the safety rules.
  • Never by-pass the safety features of equipment or take short-cuts.
  • Speak Up. Ask questions. (There’s never a dumb question when it comes to safety!) 

Why, then is this message so important to young people?  Because you are the new generation of workers, and we want you work safely.  Some of our workers are as young as 15; others are high school or college students working part-time, while many are already working full-time.  

Source: OSHA; Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety & Health

General Safety Issues

A MESSAGE TO YOUNG WORKERS

We want to share this important information with today’s young workers (those under age 25), to tell you how important you are to the future of your country!  We have compiled information from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health.  The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA’s) main role is to protect workers from workplace hazards that can cause a serious illness or injury, as well as Canada’s OSH.  Employers have the responsibility to follow established safety and health laws and common sense safety practices that prevent tragedy.  Why, then is this message so important to young people?  Because you are the new generation of workers, and we want you to work safely.  Some of our workers are as young as 15; others are high school students, or college students working part-time, while others are already working full-time.  

When you begin a new job, talk it over with your parents or someone you trust, especially if you feel you are being asked to do tasks that are unsafe.  Your parents need to know of any hazards associated with your job.  Canadian experts believe, as well as those in the U.S., that many young persons are put into the job without the proper training.  You can’t just walk onto the job and be expected to know exactly what to do without being taught the fundamentals.  You have the right to a safe workplace.  Although new jobs may be intimidating, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t rush just to impress your new boss.  You may be running a piece of equipment that an older worker has run for decades; hopefully, he will be your mentor and teach you the safe way to run it. 

There are many resources that can help you understand the particulars of your job.  Some of the ways young workers may be injured are lifting objects, working at elevations, working with hot substances and objects, working with knives, operating mobile equipment or motor vehicles, working with food slicers, and /or working near running equipment and machinery.  Whether you are working in a food service industry, construction, warehouse, grocery store, or on a drilling rig, there are going to be hazards that you must be aware of and respect. 

In a letter from Dr. David Michaels, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), this sums it up, so please pay attention: (I added a few words in italics that I think are important, too. 

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO A SAFE JOB!

YOUR RIGHTS ON THE JOB

Your employer must provide a workplace free of serious hazards.  Your employer must also:

  • Tell you the hazards and dangers of your job;
  • Inform you about the OSHA standards that apply to your workplace (in a language you understand);
  • Provide job safety training regarding workplace hazards and the required safety gear;  (personal protective equipment)(PPE). Always wear whatever PPE (e.g., gloves, safety glasses, hardhat, etc) as required; and understand how to care for it.
  • Tell you who to talk to if you have a health or safety question, and
  • Inform you what to do and who to talk to if you get hurt on the job. 

To help assure a safe workplace, OSHA provides you with rights to:

  • Receive information and training about hazards, methods to avoid harm, and OSHA standards that apply in a language that you understand;
  • Exercise your workplace safety rights without retaliation and discrimination; and
  • Ask OSHA to inspect your workplace.

WAYS TO STAY SAFE ON THE JOB

To help protect yourself, you can:

  • Report unsafe conditions to your supervisor, parent, teacher or other adult that can help.
  • Wear any personal protective equipment provided to do your job.
  • Follow the safety rules. Always think and act with safety in mind.
  • Never by-pass the safety features of equipment or take short-cuts.
  • Speak Up. Ask questions. Ask for help. 

Someday you will be the leaders of industry.  Learn all you can and do your best to be a safe worker by encouraging others to do the same. 

Source: OSHA; Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety & Health

General Safety Issues

YOUNG WORKERS AND DISTRACTED DRIVING

When young people are new to the world of work, they bring special talents and advantages to the workplace, but may need increased protections and guidance.  Occupational health and safety risks may jeopardize their well-being.  They may only vaguely understand  the dangers of various work situations and mistakenly be willing to take risks.  This is where specialized training is required in order to keep them safe and help them realize that the real world of work has real-world hazards.  

The enthusiasm that a young person brings to a job cannot be duplicated.  However, their eagerness to please their supervisor may limit their judgment in certain circumstances that could result in an injury or accident.  On-the-job driving is one of the tasks that older workers may handle best, until the new worker is ready.  The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits workers under 18 years of age from working as a motor-vehicle driver or outside helper on any public road or highway except that 17-year-olds may drive automobiles and trucks on an incidental and occasional basis if certain criteria are met.  

Not wishing to be unfair, I have seen any number of older persons distracted while driving.  However, here are some facts regarding young drivers:

  • In the U.S., the crash rate per mile driven for 16-to-19 year-olds is 4 times higher than the risk for older drivers.
  • A total of 4,054 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fact Sheet).
  • One in four (26%) of American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving.
  • One-half (50%) of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted behind the wheel. (Was it their parent?)
  • The percentage of young drivers who text or use other hand-held electronic devices is increasing annually.
  • Drivers under 20 years old had the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes (16%).
  • The 20-to-29 year-old age group had the next greatest proportion of distracted drivers.  (Distraction.gov/stats-and-facts). 

Every company should have safety policies that prohibit the use of cell phones, unless the vehicle is stopped.  Cell phones should be used for company business only.  This is for the safety of the driver and for everyone else on the road.  Many companies will dismiss employees if they are caught texting and driving a company vehicle. 

There’s a great social movement by Allstate – designed to curb distracted driving.  This is on facebook and features a combination of celebrity support, online engagement, and in-person events.  This integrated social media and traditional grassroots campaign is making a difference.  Over 100,000 X the TXT fans are building an activist community, and saving lives, with more than 125,000 people who have taken the pledge either online or at live events not to text and drive.   
These statistics are intended for everyone that drives a vehicle, not just young people:

In a study done by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan, U.S. road fatalities dropped by 22 percent from 43,501 to 33,963, (2005 to 2009), mainly due to better use of seat belts, air bags, and a reduction in traffic because of the economy.  Their studies reported, however, that federal statistics that included a code for factors involved in fatal crashes indicated a large increase in inattentive driving.   Researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center calculated last October that drivers using cell phones killed 16,000 people from 2001 to 2007.  In 2009, the U.S. government blamed distracted driving for 16 per cent of road deaths, or 5,800 persons.  As we know, distractions can include conversations within the vehicle, eating, putting on makeup, reading, looking at the GPS, adjusting music, drinking, driving under the influence of drugs, as well as talking or texting on the cell phone.  

Think about these facts the next time you hit the road.  Leave the distractions at home. Turn the cell phone off and check for messages when you get to your destination.  When you send your youngster to that new job, be sure he/she understands that there are many responsibilities in any job, and safe driving is a very important one.