10 Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Workplace Safety

As parents, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information we need to relay to our children about the world. And with an issue as complex and non-glamorous as workplace safety and health, it can be tough to know where to start. Here are a few ways to help you discuss workplace safety with your children:

1. Get them when they’re young. It’s never too early to begin talking about workplace safety (ok, maybe infancy is too early!) The more familiar our children get with their rights and responsibilities as workers, the less likely they’ll be to get injured when they start working.

2. Use the media as a discussion starter. For many youth, the topic of workplace safety seems abstract and boring, so bringing real-life stories into it helps. Every day the newspaper and internet sources provide examples of both students and adults getting injured, or even dying on the job. Clip some articles, or bookmark them online, and ask your kids probing questions like, “Why do you think this accident happened?” or “What do you think could have been done to prevent it?” You’ll be sharing current events and indirectly educating your child about how to (safely) enter the workforce. (See our resources section for some noteworthy sites to visit.)

3. Look for hazards in the real world. Each time you step out your front door it can be an opportunity to point out concrete examples of workplace hazards to your children – unsafe conditions at grocery stores, fast-food restaurants, construction sites, etc. Then actively engage them in talking about the hazards they found, and how they can be avoided.

4. Talk about your own experiences. Most of us have had jobs where we were injured or experienced “close-calls.” Talking to our children about these encounters makes the issue of workplace safety personal – and from a cherished parent, even more powerful.

5. Encourage your kid’s dreams. Students tend to be more careful if they feel they’re working towards something bigger than their current employment – a real career instead of a dead-end, minimum-wage job. Remind them of the great future they have ahead of them.

6. Build up their self-worth. Teenagers aren’t always the most self-confident creatures, and they might be easily intimidated by bosses and coworkers. Teach them how to stand up to people who don’t respect them, so that when you’re not around to protect and defend them, they’ll feel worthy of getting what’s rightfully theirs – safe and healthy work!

7. Do as you say. One of the most powerful ways we influence our kids is by modeling responsible behavior. The way we drive with the kids in the car, the way we handle stress, the way we talk about our day at the office – they’re are all opportunities to reinforce healthy, respectful behavior.

8. Teach your child to be picky. Not about what food they eat or clothes they wear… but what kind of job they’ll accept. Obviously, money is a big factor, but let your kid know it’s not the only one, nor even the most important one. On-the-job orientation and training, safety policies, proper protective equipment, a company’s safety record and other criteria should be examined before your kid accepts a job.

9. Become a mini-expert. If you are knowledgeable about workplace safety issues, and share that knowledge freely, your children may start coming to you with questions about their job. And place some third-party information about safety around your home – third-party sources of information might be taken more seriously than Mom or Dad saying it all the time!

10. Don’t stop talking after their job starts. Continuing the safety dialogue after your kid is hired can get overlooked. Many parents whose kids suffer workplace accidents later chide themselves for never asking the simple questions like:

• “Do you feel safe at your job?”
• “Are there any parts of your job that you feel unqualified to do?”
• “Does the company have a buddy policy in place?

Asking questions like these will not only keep your son/daughter safe, but can strengthen your relationship with your newly working adult child (always a nice plus!).