your questions answered

Every day, 46 young people are hurt at work in B.C. And every week, five are permanently disabled. Most of this happens in what appear to be safe workplaces, like restaurants and retail stores. Your safety is definitely worth asking about, both during your hiring interview, if necessary, during each every shift you work.
Most bosses know that safety pays off. Accidents and worker injuries cause employers a lot of trouble, and they appreciate it when a worker asks or tells them about safety hazards. They know good safety is good business for everyone.
  • Does this job involve any hazards? If so, will I be trained on how to prevent injuries?
  • Is there safety gear Ill be expected to wear? If so, who provides it?
  • Will I get a health and safety orientation before I start working?
  • Whos responsible for supervising me?
  • Who do I go to with safety concerns? If I get hurt at work, whats the procedure? Whos the first-aid person?

Asking questions about safety during a hiring interview is important. If the answers arent clear, try to find out why. It can help you decide if you really want the job.

Your boss can't read your mind, so if you're not clear about doing something safely, always ask. Saying you're not sure or uncomfortable can be hard, even for experienced workers. But it's absolutely worth it to keep from getting hurt. Taking risks is dumb, and smart employers know it; they'll respect you for asking.

Think of supervisors like teachers; they may like it when people recognize their expertise and ask for advice. Approach them respectfully; speak confidently, and say something like:

"I like working with this equipment, but there's a lot to remember. Can you spare a few minutes to go over it again?"
"I think I've got the hang of this, but can you watch to make sure I'm doing everything right?"
"I'm a little uncomfortable with this. Could you explain it to me again?"

It's against the law to be fired for refusing unsafe work. If youre part of a union, and this happens to you, talk to your shop steward. If youre not in a union, contact WorkSafeBC's Prevention Division at 1-888-621-7233. You can also contact the BC Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services' Employment Standards Branch at 1-800-663-3316.
If you're uncomfortable speaking directly to your co-workers, you can talk to your supervisor and/or employer about your concerns. You can also anonymously call WorkSafeBC's Prevention Line at 1-888-621-7233.
Employers need to be in compliance with WorkSafeBC regulations at all times.
Because WorkSafeBC is primarily responsible for issues around workplace health and safety, the BC Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services' Employment Standards Branch is the best place to ask questions about wrongful dismissal 1-800-663-3316.
It's not only irresponsible, it's also illegal. According to regulations that came into effect in July 2007 all workers must receive orientation and training before they start a new job or a new task.
Young workers are involved in 18 percent of all workplace accidents in the retail industry.
Most food-service injuries are caused by using knives or food slicers, touching hot objects, and falling from the same elevation (such as slips or trips).
While it may be difficult, the best thing is to talk to your supervisor or employer if you're unclear about how to work safely. By law, they need to train you properly and give you additional training if you ask for it.

Young people are safest at work when they ask questions, are given proper training and orientation, and exercise their right to refuse unsafe work.

Feelings of inadequacy in the workplace can stem from a number of things. If you feel inadequate around peers because you dont know how to perform the work, ask your supervisors for more training its their legal responsibility to provide it.

If you feel inadequate because you lack experience, rest assured your skills will grow and improve with time. Again, if at any time you feel that your work isnt safe, ask your employer to demonstrate how to do the job safely. Not knowing how to work safely and being afraid to ask can have dangerous and potentially fatal consequences.

WorkSafeBC has a number of resources that reinforce these messages and suggest ways that young workers can ask their employers important questions to stay safe. WorkSafeBCs brochure called Getting a Job can help you get started asking your employer safety-related questions.

The WorkSafeBC Speakers Series is also an excellent resource for young people with questions about working safely. Through WorkSafeBC schools can arrange for young workers who have experienced traumatic and life-changing workplace injuries to visit classrooms and speak to students about what can happen when young workers are not aware of hazards, or have not received proper training. Watch the following video to see the story of one such injured young worker in the WorkSafeBC Speakers Series:? http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=34940

If this response does not adequately address your question, please reply with a more specific question. You can also contact the New and Younger Worker Team directly at?yworker@WorkSafeBC.com or phone 604-276-3100 in the Lower Mainland, or toll-free in British Columbia at 1-888-621-7233 (621-SAFE).

Whatever your job may be whether it's tying balloons or operating a deep fryer your employer is required to give you training and orientation so you can do your job safely and avoid injury. If your supervisor didn't train you adequately, that person failed to meet their legal requirements. If you face a similar situation in the future, you may want to ask for more training so you can be shown how to conduct the work without hurting yourself. If you aren't satisfied that you can do the job without injury, you have a right to refuse unsafe work.
The law (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation) requires your employer to provide training and orientation that includes.
  1. Name/contact information for your supervisor
  2. Workplace safety-related rights and responsibilities both yours and your employers
  3. Safety rules relevant to your worksite
  4. All hazards you might be exposed to while working
  5. Procedures ensuring your safety if you are required to work alone or in isolation
  6. Procedures ensuring your safety if you could be exposed to violence in the workplace
  7. Personal protective equipment: what is needed, how to use it, and how to care for it
  8. Location of first-aid facility at your worksite, how to seek first-aid treatment, and your obligation to report any workplace related illness or injury?
  9. Emergency procedures for your workplace
  10. Instruction and demonstration (the latter is very important) of all tasks and processes that your job requires
  11. Your employers health and safety program
  12. Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training, including information on hazardous materials you might be exposed to, how to protect yourself, what do you do it case of an emergency or spill, and where to get more information about the product
  13. Contact information on your workplaces Joint Health and Safety Committee or the safety representative at your worksite?

    14. Orientation and training must be provided before you start work. If you have been trained but still do not fully understand the topic, ask your employer for additional training, which they must provide by law. Make sure that all orientation and training is documented meaning that you sign or initial a document (e.g., a checklist) that clearly summarizes the orientation and training topics covered, and acknowledges that you understand everything you were trained on.?

    For more information, check out WorkSafeBCs online resources for young workers.

    If you feel that you have not received full, adequate, and proper health and safety training and orientation, youre right to work safely has been violated. For information and assistance call you can anonymously call WorkSafeBC's Prevention Information line at 1-888-621-7233.

Young workers account for 28 percent of all claims in the retail industry. From 2005 - 2009, 9157 young workers were injured in retail.

This is the most common complaint made by workers in a typical enclosed (sealed building) office environment.  The usual culprits are the amount of supply air delivered to the work area, and the temperature.

That said, there is often something that can be done about it – but first, the problem has to be identified. 

 

If the temperature is too high some workers think the air is stuffy. A minor increase in temperature of even 0.5 degrees centigrade can cause discomfort for some.  Fortunately, this problem can often be resolved by lowering the thermostat even a little bit. On the down side, individual rooms might not have separate thermostats and you may have to lower the temperature of a whole zone or work area.  However, because the temperature in any work environment will always be too hot for some and too cold for others, this could cause other complaints.

 

The other variable to check is air flow.  Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are designed to deliver a certain amount of fresh air, per person, to an occupied area. The amounts of fresh air needed are specified by standards set out by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). As the standards are updated over time, building ventilation requirements should meet the ASHRAE standard that was in place the year the building was constructed or most recently renovated.

 

Section 4.79 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation mandates that indoor air quality will be investigated if complaints are reported, if the occupancy of the space has changed significantly, or if there have been changes to the ventilation system.  This would include both an assessment of the ventilation rate and an inspection of the ventilation system.

 

Worker can make an anonymous complaint about possible air quality problems to WorkSafeBC by calling 604-276-3100. An Officer will then conduct an inspection of that workplace. Remember though, stuffy air and temperature complaints are more often related to comfort, rather than a potential exposure issue.

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A movement takes many voices. When you ask a question, not only are you taking part in the movement, you’re raising your hand to make work safer for yourself and others.