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Assess the Risk officially launches

More Manitoba youth are ready to Assess the Risk while on the job this summer following the official launch of SAFE Manitoba’s newest youth-based campaign.  

Media, students and dignitaries gathered at Silver City Polo Park on June 15 to kick off the campaign, which asks Manitoba youth to visit youth.safemanitoba.com to watch our series of horror-inspired webisodes depicting the risks associated with the workplace.  

“We’re committed to building a culture of health and safety throughout Manitoba – and we know that commitment needs to start with our youth.” says WCB President and CEO Doug Sexsmith, who provided opening remarks at the event. “Young workers are the leaders, workers and mentors of tomorrow, and by focusing our injury prevention efforts on them at an early stage, our goal is to create a future in which fewer Manitobans will be injured at work.” 

Many of the approximately 50 Grade 8 students who attended the launch will begin their first jobs this summer and the webisodes – which prompt viewers to choose the safest course of action for the characters with a chance to win big prizes – captured their full attention.  

“It’s really neat to see how you can choose the path for the workers,” said Prab, one of the attendees. “It gets you thinking about what is safest.”  

The students each got a SAFE Work t-shirt, popcorn and a drink for their participation – and most of them went away with a mission to log on to the Assess the Risk site and choose their own ending for the four potentially-injured workers.  

Of course, the chance to win an iPod or MacBook didn’t hurt.

“The interactive webisodes examine the risks of common hazards that young workers face on a daily basis. They’re based on the top injuries that occurred among youth in 2007, which include hand injuries, ankle sprains, back injuries and head injuries.” says Sexsmith.

“Until the end of August, we’re daring youth to surf to safemanitoba.com to assess the scary workplace risk, where we’ve already received more than 13,000 entries.”

Watch the webisodes and enter the contest.