Young workers don’t know what they don’t know about safety. If they’re worth hiring, they’re worth protecting.
I had a conversation with a young worker this week and was astounded how he was unaware of his rights, duties and obligations to safety. His admitted risky safety behaviors on the job made me cringe - not to mention his girlfriend who sat next to him.
I began to help him understand the real truths about safety that apparently none of his past employers had ever explained to him, at least in a way he understood.
Five truths about safety that safety managers must stress to young workers:
1You have not only the right, but the obligation to refuse unsafe work. As a new and young worker, you are three times more likely to be injured during the first month of employment (Source: Ontario Ministry of Labour). As a young worker, you are likely to make an assumption that whatever is in front of you must be safe. Truthfully, you have not been trained enough to fully comprehend the dangers of your work. Don’t worry, that comes with time and mentoring. You have the right to refuse unsafe work. But this attitude of “invincibility” that you have (at least in front of others), well that’s going to get you hurt and probably the guy standing next to you. You don’t know everything. So ask someone. You never look dumb by trying to stay safe. You look dumb when you think you know it all and when you take risks.
2Don’t expect your employer to provide your safety gear - buy your own. Safety gear is just like any other tool. It’s not a thing that restricts your ability or hinders your freedom. It’s a tool, just like a hammer or steel-toed boots or prescription glasses. Stop whining that the equipment your employer gives you doesn’t fit or it’s uncomfortable. Go buy your own. You will be more likely to wear it if it’s yours. So if you need a harness, buy one. Eye protection? Hearing? Buy it. Invest in yourself and your safety. This idea that you will care about your own safety only once you are handed the required PPE by your employer makes you look immature. Truthfully, you become more valuable when you invest in you first.
3Your long-term goals line up with the decisions you make on safety today. You say you want to own a house, that new truck or a recreational machine. Maybe you want to open your own business one day. That takes money. So don’t jeopardize your future goals for shortcuts. If you have future goals, then your plan had better include your safety today. Your actions today have to line up to make your future goals possible. A broken back won’t keep you working and it would limit your options down the road. And is it really fair to your partner to be saddled with a life of looking after you?
4You, as a worker, can be assessed tickets (fines) by OH&S. The Province of Alberta started issuing fines (tickets and administrative penalties) recently. More provinces and states will follow shortly. So, in addition to your employer being fined for their failure to inform you of the rules, you can still be fined for not knowing the rules. In the same way the courts don’t accept pleas of ignorance as a defense for driving infractions, ignorance is no defense when it comes to safety. You have a responsibility to know the rules and if you don’t know, you must ask. It would be terrible to work for a week and then on Friday afternoon, be issued a ticket that wipes out the whole week’s wages just because you didn’t know. You are ultimately responsible and accountable for your own safety.
5Your safety reputation follows you around. Employers are not so naive as to assume that their young workers are going to stay with them for a lifetime. So when you move to another job, what kind of referral will you get? If there’s an incident on the job, what will your history say about your past safety conduct? You will be respected more when you have developed a reputation as a diligent, reliable and safe worker. Good safety performers with clean safety records are far more attractive to other employers than those with questionable conduct in safety. Good safety performers get promoted more often too. Build your safety reputation.
Young workers don’t know what they don’t know. So it’s on both sides to communicate, to converse and to collaborate. If they’re worth hiring, they’re worth protecting.
Now, consider emailing this post directly to every one of your young workers and then discuss the contents with them within the week. Click "Email Article" right below the title of this post.
