Ministry of Labour
Safety First! On Take Our Kids To Work Day
Workplaces Should Promote Safety To Visiting Students
TORONTO, Nov. 5 — Employers will have a good opportunity to
demonstrate workplace safety on Wednesday to thousands of Grade 9 students who
will be participating in this year's Take Our Kids to Work event, Labour
Minister Brad Duguid said today.
"It's vital for employers and parents to take this opportunity to talk to
young people about the importance of health and safety in the workplace," said
Duguid. "Students should get a complete picture of the workplace - and that
includes an overview on how to stay healthy and safe at work. New workers of
any age are more than four times more likely to be injured in their first
month on the job than at any other time."
Take Our Kids To Work Day, developed by The Learning Partnership, is a
one-day job shadowing experience involving Grade 9 students across Canada. On
Wednesday, November 7, students will travel to work with a parent, relative or
friend to observe the complexities of the workplace. Students will gain
valuable insight into the value of work generally, and safe work practices in
particular.
Employers should provide a comprehensive health and safety orientation at
the start of the day. Orientation should include a tour of the workplace and
an overview of potential hazards. It should cover emergency procedures,
workplace safety rules everyone must follow, general requirements for personal
protective equipment, first aid provisions and all other essential health and
safety facts.
The Ontario government is continuing to raise awareness on workplace
health and safety among young workers:
— In the spring of this year, the Ministries of Labour and Education
and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) distributed
safety tip sheets for young workers to all students in Ontario in
Grades 7 to 12
— In May, the WSIB launched a dramatic, hard-hitting workplace safety
ad campaign aimed at 15- to 19-year-olds. It features animated ads
that are shown in movie theatres, on public transit and online
— The successful Live Safe! Work Smart! program, which provides
teachers with resources to help to prepare high-school students for
the job-specific safety training every employer must provide, is now
being extended to elementary school students
— The Minister's Action Group on Vulnerable Workers Under Age 25, which
has been working to identify issues and offer solutions affecting
young vulnerable workers, submitted its final report in May. The
Group presented eight recommendations in two categories:
— Protecting young people by making sure vulnerable youth have the
information and resources they need to recognize unsafe situations
and have the confidence to refuse unsafe work
— Improving safety in workplaces that employ vulnerable youth.
Contact Info
"The government is committed to protecting Ontario's future by ensuring
our youth work in the healthiest and safest environments," said Duguid.
"Employers, unions, workers, parents and the government need to work together
to raise youth awareness about workplace health and safety."
For further information: Rob Walters, Minister's Office, (416) 326-7709;
Bruce Skeaff, Ministry of Labour, (416) 326-7405
