McGuinty Government Takes Action To Reduce Young Worker Injuries
Teens and Youth Who Go Straight Into the Workforce Are Most Likely To Be Injured
July 28 2006 - The McGuinty government is turning to young
people and experts for help in reducing injuries and deaths on the job among
youth who go directly into the workforce from school, Labour Minister Steve
Peters announced today.
"Serious and fatal injuries are most common among young people under 25
years old who go right to work after leaving school," said Peters. "We have
excellent prevention programs for those still in school, but we need to figure
out how to reach the others. We must do more to create a culture of
prevention."
A Minister's Action Group on Vulnerable Workers Under 25 has been
established to help find new and innovative approaches to reduce workplace
injuries and deaths in this hard-to-reach demographic group.
The action group is made up of young people, labour market experts,
specialists and others involved in identifying issues and creating solutions
for this vulnerable part of the workforce. Minister Peters will chair the
group.
Specifically, the group will:
- identify gaps in communication, knowledge or skills that may be a
cause of workplace injuries and deaths among post-secondary youth
- find best practices for a co-ordinated strategy that can make
workplaces safer for new, young and inexperienced workers
- suggest methods, strategies and processes to provide appropriate
health and safety awareness and education to workers under the age of
25 who are outside of the education system.
Ontario has many excellent programs aimed at Ontario youth who are still
in school. For example, health and safety is part of the mandatory curriculum
in grades 9 through 12 in Ontario.
"We are on the side of working families and want to make sure their sons
and daughters come home safely from work each day," said Peters. "That's why
we are zeroing in how to reach this difficult demographic group which is more
likely to be hurt on the job."
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