Youth at risk for workplace accidents

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Knowledge and prevention are the best tools to ensure that inexperienced young workers survive the first few weeks on the job. Since novice employees account for 18 per cent of the lost time injuries in construction, orientation to work hazards is crucial.

According to the Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO), there is correlation between injuries and age. Workers in the age 15-to-24 category are at greater risk because they are unfamiliar with common hazards.

Small contractors make up two-thirds of the industry in Ontario and experience a disproportionate number of injuries and death, CSAO records show.

Nationally, 57 Canadians between 15 and 24 died on the job in 2001. An average of 172 people per day in that age range were injured at work.

Terry Abotossaway, maintenance manager for the Ojibways of Sucker Creek First Nation, has observed first-hand the importance of guiding novices on the job site.

"We make sure the youth have the safety equipment ahead of time," he said. "We send the young worker out with an experienced carpenter and carpenter's assistant so they are watched and taught the proper way of doing things. They are always under the tutelage of older workers."

Abotossaway oversees a new subdivision under construction in his community as well as roads, ditching and grounds. He advises new employees not to be too anxious to rush into things at first. "Just watch and learn."

"We never push the younger guys. We are not going to overdo the workload with our summer students. They have to enjoy being on the site and take pride in their accomplishments. It is important not to push them to do something they are not comfortable with.

"Sometimes people try to overdo it in order to make a good impression," he said. "But there's a good way and a bad way to do things. We always tell them, 'First you get good; then you get fast.' Above all avoid taking short cuts and rushing through things."

He counsels youth to ask lots of questions and to take their time with new tasks. "Don't try to impress anybody. Just do what you are capable of; we don't expect miracles out of anybody," he said.

Team work is also a key ingredient in familiarization programs, according to Abotossaway. "The young ones often have good ideas to contribute (to problem solving). Let's put our heads together and come up with solutions. It is important to listen to them. They deserve to be listened to."

He acknowledges that small contractors experience more on the job injuries than larger companies.

"The smaller businesses may cut corners because they can't afford to hire skilled tradesmen. They have to underbid the big companies in order to make a profit. Of course, this creates a problem, and they are rolling the dice every time they hire untrained laborers. Eventually their luck does run out," said Terry Abotossaway

In Sucker Creek, the Ontario Ministry of Labour conducts orientation sessions in a classroom setting. "You can't beat hands-on training," he said. "Safety first is our motto."

The CSAO estimates that 18,000 largely untrained workers entered the field in 1998. The incidence of injury increases during boom periods in construction.

The most common injuries in construction include overexertion, slips and falls. Overexertion accounted for 27 per cent of lost-time injuries over a four-year period. Falls were responsible for 22 per cent of the lost-time injuries from 1994 to 1998.

In an effort to improve occupational safety, the CSAO has stepped up its entry-level training opportunities for workers. The organization trained more than 34,000 workers in 1999 and delivered safety programs to 40,000 people in 2001.

Much of the educational campaign has targetted small contractors. According to Don Dickie, executive vice-president and general manager of CSAO, "We are at the point where it is normal not to have injuries. Injuries are, today in construction, an abnormal situation."

Organizations such as the United Steeworkers of America have been educating students about workplace hazards. To underscore the magnitude of the problem, April 28 is set aside as the International Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job.