- Over the past 10 years I have been astounded to realize how many workplace hazards really exist in our "safe" and "comfortable" society. While, I had been to hundreds of gas stations and hundreds of fast food joints I must admit that I rarely thought about who the person was that was closing up and how dangerous a job that could be.
In the past decade however I have been educated about the dangers that some of these jobs pose. In fact, rarely do I frequent one of these establishments where I don't look at the young employees and wonder if they are being left alone to lock-up, or if their employer cares enough about them to put proper protocols and buddy systems in place.
Last week MySafeWork had an the great opportunity to joining with Dibrina Sure to bring the message of safety to 4000 students in the Sudbury ON area.
On Wednesday morning Students filled the Memorial Arena, a place where they usually go to watch the Sudbury Wolves play, to learn about career opportunities, while interacting with local business and union leaders.
If 2,000 polar bears were injured this year in Canada, don't you think someone would speak up?
Polar bears are important... but so are people.
Last year in Canada, 200,000 workers were injured at their jobs.
Are you part of the solution?
"Those stories are going to help a lot" says the trailer for the powerful workplace safety stories produced in a series of DVDs by Canadian company, Danatec. A few seconds into it, I see a man severely disfigured on face and arms by burn scars, a woman discussing the occupational disease that has made her a victim, and a pair of lab workers discussing the need for WHIMS training.
BUT it's NOT dull! Rather, the trailer is fast-paced, with an engaging soundtrack, cutting to images of varying workplaces, and still cram-packed with valuable information aimed at saving lives at work.
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.
