Saskatchewan offering job safety courses to youths

The high number of Saskatchewan youths being injured in the workplace was the catalyst for a new career safety education program that is being celebrated as the first of its kind in North America.

The Saskatchewan Safety Council and WorkSafe Saskatchewan partnered in 2013 to address the tide of youth injuries and fatalities in the province’s workplaces.

That year there was one workplace fatality and 876 youths, aged 14 to 21, lost time because they were injured on the job, according to the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board.

Another 2,557 youths were injured at work, but there was no time loss.

In 2014, there were two workplace fatalities in the province, 828 youths took time off work because of injuries and another 2,197 were injured but didn’t lose time.

The five-year Early Safety Training pilot program began as a joint initiative of the safety council and WorkSafe Saskatchewan. A provincial steering committee was established that was made up of all of the industry safety associations, Safe Saskatchewan, private industry and education.

The goal was to give all youth access to free, career-focused safety education before starting their first jobs. Safety training was provided at more than 20 school divisions and six First Nations.

“It involved first aid and CPR and then a hands-on elective,” said Merissa Scarlett, community relations co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan Safety Council.

“We realized we needed to upgrade it so we could reach all of the youth.”

The safety council brought together an alliance of safety organi- zations, and from that partnership, youths between the ages of 14 and 21 now have access to free online career-focused safety education.

“As long as someone has access to a computer they can do the training,” Scarlett said.

Saskatchewan is the first jurisdiction in North America to offer universal career training to all youths.

The online training includes two mandatory courses — the Young Worker Readiness certificate course offered by WorkSafe Saskatchewan, and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS). Both courses include videos, quizzes and activities.

“Even if you’re working at your first job and you’re cleaning the floor — you should have WHMIS training to understand what the cleaners’ hazards are,” Scarlett said.

Electives offer safety courses in agriculture, road construction, residential and commercial construction, the oil and gas industry and the health-care sector.

The program began at the beginning of March, and as of Friday, 73 youth have already enrolled.

“We’re pretty excited about it and we’d like to get the word out that it is a perfect training opportunity for youths right before they get a summer job,” Scarlett said.

Aside from helping to keep youth safe on the job, the training looks good on a resume.

“An employer could potentially look at that favourably,” Scarlett said.

Even if you’re working at your first job ... you should have (this) training to understand what the hazards are.