Rob Ellis and Jessica Di Sabatino lost a son and brother in 1999 to a workplace accident: David was 18 and it was his second day on the job. Rob and Jess have been on the lookout for Safety Champions ever since. This is their blog.

Keep up with all the latest on MySafeWork
Add RSS feed

Youth

"Job Readiness" Certification Mandatory in Saskatchewan

Submitted by Rob on Thu, 05/13/2010 - 17:55.

I have just come back from Saskatchewan where I spoke to 700 business and government leaders in Regina and Saskatoon. I also took teams out to impact three high schools in Regina.

One of the amazing efforts we saw in that province is the mandatory Job Readiness Certificate (online test) that all 14 and 15-year olds must write and get it signed off by a parent or guardian. It makes good sense - similar to all new drivers having to write a beginner's licence test before they start driving.

Double the Fines for Young Worker Safety

Submitted by Rob on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 10:04.

I'm sure you've seen a sign like this as you approach a road crew - a warning sign reinforcing the seriousness of driving too fast through a construction zone.

Why such a big jump in the penalty - doubling the fines? Because you could be endangering the lives of those young women and men wearing the hard hats and safety vests while they improve your roads, that's why!

Everyone seems to accept the doubling of fines in these high-risk circumstances when it comes to road crew safety... so why don't we apply the same principle to workplace safety in general?

Our Fifth Annual 'Simulcast" at Ontario High Schools

Submitted by jessica on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 15:25.

I'm going to be up on that stage, like my dad, in a couple of weeks speaking to hundreds of high school students at once - live and via the miracle of video-simulcast, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not nervous!

I will be speaking at four different schools in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, while my dad, Rob Ellis, speaks at other schools and our corporate champions talk to youth at still other schools.

12 to 14 Year Olds Getting Hurt at Work, Too

Submitted by heather on Wed, 11/05/2008 - 00:13.

Six percent of 12 to 14 year-olds in Ontario are injured at work, according to a new study conducted at the Institute for Work & Health.

The organization also surveyed youth in British Columbia, where they found 3.5 percent of tweens and early teens get hurt at work.

The rate of work-related injuries in this age group is comparable to that of 15- to 24-year-olds, the study showed. Work injuries were reported by six per cent of youth surveyed in Ontario and 3.5 per cent in B.C.

Some Days are Bloodier than Others

Submitted by heather on Thu, 10/30/2008 - 10:33.

I am still reeling from watching BloodyLucky.ca - very upsetting short videos showing young lady with serious burns from chemicals splashed on her face, a deli worker slicing his finger off, a shoe sales girl falling backwards off a ladder... I couldn't get past that. Do I suggest you watch them? Bloody right, I do, and show them to your teenager who's new in the working world... please. Just don't do so just after they, or you, have eaten.


yeah I don't think that law Munro's Safety Apparel 11/04/2009 - 16:02 In my work experience, small Fred Rose 09/10/2009 - 17:57 Hi, Morgan,Absolutely we'll heather 06/01/2009 - 12:52 I’ve been working in the Sylvain Grenier 06/01/2009 - 12:45	View more videos	Workplace Injury is an Inevitable Part of Life: Agree - no one or no company is perfect - accidents will always be a part of society. Somewhat agree - accidents will always be a part of society but we can work on reducing the most tragic accidents. Disagree - every accident is preventable.