As we are into summer, this is a time where many young people will take on part-time or full-time work to make some money – either for school, for the car, for dinner with the girlfriend, or just to stay busy when not studying.

And if you are a proud parent of one of these young workers (aged 15 to 24), you know that these people have limited skills but unlimited enthusiasm , strength and ambition to work hard and prove their ability. Very few of these workers have the same job with the same company every summer, so in these early years they are often “rookies.”  And while many health and safety regulations are universal across all industries and with all workers, there are some things that are different based on whether your young worker is in construction, trades, manufacturing or food service.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user EladeManu via Creative Commons]No matter if you are a young worker or have been on the job 30 years, the same rights and responsibilities to safety apply. Young workers don’t always know how to claim those rights; as a parent, this is a chance for you to teach them what they need to know.

But as a parent, and as an experienced worker yourself, you know that just because your child is a “rookie” does not mean he or she does not have rights or responsibilities. And young workers often do not know the right questions to ask or the right information to get in order to be informed, so I, along with WorkSafe Alberta, would like to provide you with some vital things that you should discuss with your young worker so they are prepared to work safely when they head into that summer job for the first time.

Have lunch with your young worker and go over some of this information so they are armed with some proper knowledge:

1. “Rookies” have a much higher risk of injuries or death on the job. This is partly due to inexperience, lack of training and partly due to a sense of “invincibility” that seems to be so common among young workers. (Admit it, we’ve all been there at that age.) They should know that on average, about 10 people aged 15-24 die every year in Alberta due to on-the-job incidents or work-related auto accidents. Let them know that they need to embrace their inexperience and be more cautious starting out until they have mastered necessary skills.

2. They might be smart, but they are naively optimistic. Young workers have a hard time grasping that anyting bad can go wrong on the job. But it is important to relate to them some real-life stories or examples about what can happen, and encourage them to ask their boss questions about specific hazads of the job they are doing. They shoud also learn how they can avoid those hazards, or what can cause those hazards to be realized. Education and learning in this case involve knowing all sides of risk on the job.

3. Even “rookies” have rights and responsibilities. Just because your young worker is the new guy, does not mean he or she should always do the unpleasant or unsafe work that no one else does just because “it’s what they do.” From the first day, your young worker needs to know that he or she has a right to know about all the possible hazards and risks of the job he or she will be doing, and the younger worker absolutely must know that he or she has the right to refuse to do work that may be deemed too unsafe or unneccessarily risky.

4. Workplace safety is a shared responsibility. The young worker may think that everything is laid for them to just do their job safely, but it goes further than that. Yes, employers are required to make a reasonable effort to provide training and support for employees, but all workers have the responsibility to not just go through the training, but to actually follow the safety rules and protocols while on the job.

5. They must take responsibility for their own safety. Do not assume that safety training and equipment will be offered; make sure to insist that safety training and appropriate safety equipment is provided for the job to be done safely. Employers have an obligation, but some will do only what is minimally expected; let your young worker know that he or she deserves to get the same training and equipment as someone with more experience and seniority.

6. Be transparent. You have taught them about being honest in life, so your young worker should carry that into the job as well. No matter how minor the injury or illness (even a paper cut), he or she should report it to the boss. and have it documented that the boss was informed.

7. “Rookies” are really not invincible. Your kids might think they are, but the reality is that nearly 8,000 young workers every year in Alberta alone (think about that extrapolated over all of Canada or the U.S.!) report some kind of injury on the job. Your young worker is healthy, but has to work to stay there – and work smartly. Remind them that is the reason you are still there talking to them over lunch!

If you would like more information about any of this, you can visit www.worksafe.alberta.ca for materials about young workers and keeping them safe on the job.