Warning Signs that Your Child is Unsafe at Work
Let’s face it, most teenagers don’t have their own mortality on their top 10 things to think about. So as parents, it is up to us to remind them to remain vigilant about their safety as they enter into the workforce for the first time.
Because we can’t go with our kids to work, we must know the right questions to ask and we must know the signs of an unsafe work environment so that we can help guide and protect the ones we love.
Warning Signs:
- No Orientation and Training
When your child begins his or her first job – it is important that you encourage them to ask about orientation and training during the interview process (even if this feels uncomfortable). As a parent it is then your responsibility to follow-up with your children and make sure that they are receiving adequate preparation to perform their job.
Check out this resource from WorksafeBC about a proper orientation and training program.
If you do not think that your kid is receiving adequate orientation and training, your next step could be to advise him/her about talking to the boss (if at all possible) or quitting.
- No Buddy System
When a young person starts a new job with a “safety champion” employer, they are usually given the opportunity to shadow someone until they become comfortable with their position, often known as a “buddy system.” If your child’s employer doesn’t have a buddy system, this should send off warning bells. For a full list of a workers rights and responsibilities in Ontario, check out this article by WSIB (PDF).
- High Incidence of Burns
If only an isolated event, a small burn may mean nothing, but repeated instances of burns may indicate a chronically unsafe environment. In many industries burns are considered battle wounds, just par for the course, but if we are to raise the standard of workplace safety, we must teach young people that no injury is acceptable and no environment where you must tolerate accidents is a satisfactory place to work.
- High Incidence of Accidents in General
The safety record of a company is usually a good indicator of its future. If the position held by your son or daughter has had a history of accidents, more than likely your child is in harm’s way.
Encourage your child to find out how many accidents have occurred on the job, and what the circumstances were. If the company closes rank and refuses to divulge this information, that’s a pretty clear indication that all is not well, and your son or daughter probably shouldn’t work there - no matter how big the paycheck.
Some industries are clearly more dangerous than others; the National Safety Council lists those in America; check out the study. For Canadian statistics, read this report, "Five Deaths a Day" (PDF) put out by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
- Employees Do Not Follow the Safety Policies
You and your kid should do your best to find out if there is a “culture of safety” at his/her workplace. In other words, do the employees who currently work for this company follow the safety policies and procedures? In some places, a “macho man” environment overrides the existing safety policies and put everyone at risk.
For example, lock-out systems are designed for meat cutters so that no one’s fingers get cut, but they do take time to snap into place. If a particular delicatessen has a poor culture of safety, employees may not take the time to snap the lock-out systems in place – thereby setting a bad precedence and risking bodily harm.
How many safety warning signs do you need to see before you advise your child to stop working there?
Read up on workers’ rights and responsibilities (PDF) - and make sure your child reads it, too!
