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School's out - training isn't!
Educating summer staff is everyone’s responsibility
School’s almost out for summer – and that means an influx of student and seasonal workers will soon thrust themselves into Manitoba’s workforce.
But even though classes are winding down, the learning process is far from finished. In fact – for those starting work over the next few weeks – that learning process is just beginning.
Judy Fraser, Young Worker Safety and Education Initiative Coordinator, says employers should take time to remember summer students are inexperienced and – in turn – take time to properly train and supervise each one of them.
At the same time, she says, workers should all take responsibility for ensuring they are prepared and comfortable with their tasks.
“When an incident occurs, people will sometimes say, ‘Well, that should have just been common sense’,” Fraser says. “But with inexperience, common sense isn’t that common. It can’t be common.”
In 2007, workers between the ages of 15 and 24 filed 18 per cent of all injury claims submitted to the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.
Research suggests new and young workers are injured more than any other workers – and most within the first four weeks on the job. In fact, workers who have been on the job for less than one month statistically file four times as many claims as long-term workers.
Fraser says when a workforce is hit with a significant and sudden increase of people, the risk new workers will suffer injury inevitably rises.
“Look at it this way – summer jobs are a great way to get valuable experience and, of course, money,” she says. “But they need to be safe jobs. We need to make sure these young workers get enough training and are placed in jobs appropriate to their skill level.”
SAFE Manitoba offers a number of resources for all involved in the mass summer hire, including a SAFE Seasonal Worker Orientation Program designed to assist employers in comprehensively training their new and seasonal workers.
The SAFE Work Student Program – a downloadable resource that provides information to help high school teachers and administrators guide students safely into their first jobs – is also a great tool for preventing injury at a very pre-emptive level.
Workplaces also have their own methods for training and education, which Fraser commends – so long as they cover all the topics that help keep workers safe.
“It’s an upside for employers,” Fraser says. “They get the help they need, they get fresh eyes looking at things and they get enthusiasm. But it’s an unpleasant experience when someone gets hurt. Getting a good experience all around requires some up-front effort. And that up-front effort pays dividends.”