Take Our Kids to Work Day offers opportunity for safety and prevention awareness

Today is Take Our Kids to Work Day. This one-day job-shadowing experience for students in grade nine offers them the opportunity to spend a day at work with a parent, friend, relative or volunteer host.

This day also provides a timely opportunity for employers to talk to these students about safety and health at work.

“Young workers in Manitoba suffer workplace injuries at a disproportionately higher level than all other workers,” said Wally Fox-Decent, Chairperson of the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB). “Male youth between the ages of 20 to 24 are particularly at risk as they have an injury rate that is almost double that of all covered workers.”

Once a worker is injured, there is an increased chance he or she will get injured again during their work life. Between 1995 and 2002, slightly more than half of workers injured on the job had 2 or more work related injuries and 17% had 5 or more.

“Education is the key to preventing workplace injuries,” said Doug Sexsmith, President and CEO of the WCB. “Take Our Kids to Work Day is an opportune time to provide youth with information on safety and health issues in the workplace. At the WCB, students attend a SAFE Workers of Tomorrow presentation which covers a number of topics including common workplace hazards, the rights of the worker and how to report a workplace injury.”

There are a number of resources and training programs available aimed specifically at youth which can assist in reducing the risk of being injured on the job.

The SAFE Work Student Program guide is an instructor’s resource to helping young workers stay safe. Three brochures targeted towards employers and supervisors, parents and educators as well as young workers are also available. In addition, SAFE Workers of Tomorrow provides presentations to students in Manitoba at no cost to schools or school divisions.

For more information on any of these resources, visit the SAFE Work website at http://www.safemanitoba.com/.

SAFE Work is an injury and illness prevention strategy developed by the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) and the Workplace Safety and Health Division (WSHD).

For more information contact:

Warren Preece
Director of Communications
Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba
(204) 954-4113