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Young worker safety featured during B.C. Youth Week
Richmond, B.C., May 5, 2010 — WorkSafeBC will be educating young workers aged 15-24 about the importance of staying safe on the job at numerous events and activities scheduled during B.C. Youth Week from May 1-7. Youth Week is an event that aims to recognize the positive contributions youth make in their communities, and to celebrate the valuable work youth do all year around.
“We know that young people respond to positive social interaction – that’s a key element of Youth Week,” said Trudi Rondou, Manager, Young and New Worker Programs for WorkSafeBC. “For WorkSafeBC, it’s the opportunity to recognize the contribution youth bring to the workplace and to spread awareness about health and safety on the job.”
From 2005-2009 in B.C.’s retail sector, which includes grocery stores, there were 9,157 accepted time-loss claims for young workers, representing 18 percent of the total 50,367 young worker claims for that period. Twenty-eight percent of all claims by young people working in retail are due to overexertion. Overexertion accidents most often result in sprains, strains and tears, which typically relate to moving or lifting boxes, crates, cartons or other objects.
WorkSafeBC and Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and its banner store Real Canadian Superstore, have partnered to organize safety related activities at their 48 store locations across the province. Loblaw has more than 10,000 employees in B.C. with approximately 30 per cent of them between the ages of 15-24. An outdoor ceremony today will kick off the week’s activities at the Vancouver distribution centre and will feature speakers from Loblaw, WorkSafeBC and injured young worker Nick Perry.
“To have a productive and sustainable workforce, Loblaw believes that a safety culture must be embedded within the organization. To that end, Loblaw is committed to creating the foundation for a generation of safe colleagues through our safety programs,” said Jattinder Dhillon, Vice President, Health and Safety, Loblaw Companies Limited.
Activities for the week at Loblaw banner store Real Canadian Superstore locations across B.C. include daily morning young worker safety crew talks and a campaign where safety committee members recognize safe acts by young workers.
WorkSafeBC is also organizing 70 young worker safety presentations to be delivered during the week by health and safety officers across B.C. as well as sponsoring 12 regional events for youth that plan to integrate a health and safety component into their youth week activities.
For more information and a list of events scheduled across B.C., visit the youth week page at www.worksafebc.com or the youth week site at www.bcyouthweek.com.
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors that serves about two million workers and more than 200,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born from the historic compromise between B.C.’s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. WorkSafeBC is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.
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| Heather Young |
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