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Top Seven Dangers for Young Workers
Lifting objects | Elevated levels | Knives | Hot substances/objects | Operating/working near mobile equipment | Food slicers | Working near running equipment/machinery
Top Seven Dangers facing B.C.'s Young Workers
The following table identifies the top seven dangers to young workers and the types of jobs where they are at risk.
| The danger | # of young workers injured per year | Types of jobs |
| 1. Lifting objects - overexertion causing sprains, strains, tears | 1000 | Retail and grocery clerks, labourers, material handlers, shippers & receivers |
| 2. Working on elevated levels - sprains, strains, tears, & fractures | 700 | Any job using ladders, stairs, scaffolding, or other raised areas |
| 3. Working with knives - cuts & lacerations | 500 | Cooks, food service workers, retail clerks & shelf stockers |
| 4. Working with hot substances/object - burns | 400 | Jobs in the hospitality & service industries |
| 5. Using mobile equipment or motor vehicles - sprains, strains, tears, & fractures | 250 | Any job requiring driving, riding, operating, or operating near mobile equipment |
| 6. Working with food slicers - cuts & lacerations | 150 | Deli sales clerks, cooks, food service workers & retail sales clerks in supermarkets |
| 7. Working in proximity to running equipment or machinery - cuts, lacerations, & fractures | 125 | Labourers in manufacturing or construction, machine operators, material handlers, bakers & cooks |
Lifting Objects
(Approximately 1,000 claims a year)Young workers are at significant risk to injury as a result of lifting objects in a number of industries. Generally, injuries incurred are sprains, strains and tears in conjunction with lifting boxes, crates, bags, buckets, pallets, lumber, and structural metal materials. A significant number of these injuries occur to material handlers, retail and grocery sales clerks, labourers, and shippers and receivers.
Web Resources
Back
at Work: Information & Resource Centre
Life / Lower Calculator
Push / Pull / Carry Calculator
Back injury prevention from CCOHS
Manual
handling
Backpack Guidelines
Booklets
Back Talk: An Owner's Manual for Backs BK4(PDF
621 KB) (Updated: June 2007)
Does Your Back Hurt: A guide to preventing low back pain (PDF
127 KB)
Hazard Alerts
97-08 Use a full-hand grip
97-07 Reduce repetitive movements
97-05 Avoid awkward work positions
96-08 Use extreme caution when moving heavy objects
Posters
Don't try to lift items under shelves PDF (123 KB)
That's no way to lift! PDF (112 KB)
Don't reach for that box PDF (148 KB)
Working on Elevated Levels
(Approximately 700 claims a year)Generally, young workers are at risk to falls when working on elevated levels in any industry. Situations in which young workers are at risk of falling from elevated levels often involve working on ladders, stairs, scaffolds, and platforms. This also includes jumping to lower levels from stationary vehicles or structures. Injuries range in severity from minor sprains, strains and tears to multiple fractures or even death. One in 40 claims is a serious fracture. These serious injuries have a profound impact to the worker, generally requiring hospitalization and rehabilitation.
OHS Regulation
Part 4 General Conditions:
Sections 4.54-4.63: Work Area Guards and Handrails
Part 11 Fall Protection
Part 13 Ladders, scaffolds, temporary work platforms
Booklet
An Introduction to Personal Fall Protection (PDF
392 KB)
* Available in Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Hazard Alerts
03-07 Parapet wall collapses, injuring painter on swing stage
01-20 Worker falls while attempting to change fluorescent lights
Accident Alert
Falls from stepladders can kill
Falls
from Heights in Construction
Signs & Posters
The abc's of personal fall protection
Keep this hole covered
4 to 1 ratio for safety
Secure this ladder before using
Check safety procedures before entering swing stage
Scaffolding Poster (PDF 2MB)
Working with Knives
(Approximately 500 claims a year)Cooks, food service helpers/preparers, retail sales clerks and shelf stockers employed in the restaurant and supermarket industries are at significant risk to cuts and lacerations when working with knives. Often this type of injury occurs when a knife slips in the hand of the worker. Resulting cuts and lacerations range in severity with one in 200 claims being an amputation of a finger or thumb.
Web Resources
Teen Worker Safety in Restaurants - Use of knives (OSHA)
Booklet
White Spot Health & Safety Information. See page on working safely with knives (PDF 243 KB)
Working with Hot Substances or Objects
(Approximately 400 claims a year)Cooks, waiters, and food preparers employed in the hospitality/service industry (e.g., restaurants, hotels, pubs, food/beverage concessions) are at significant risk to heat burns and scalds when working with hot substances or objects. Typically these injuries involve hot fats and oils or hot water, and may also involve steam, other food products or even pots, pans, and trays. Resulting burns range in severity with one in 50 claims being a third degree burn. These serious injuries have a long term, profound impact to the worker, usually requiring hospitalization and cosmetic surgery.
OHS Regulation
Part 8 Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment:
Section 8.10: Personal clothing and accessories
Guideline G8.10 Personal clothing and accessories
Section 8.31: Flame Resistant Clothing
Part 12 Tools, Machinery and Equipment:
Welding, cutting and allied processes
Web Resource
Teen Worker Safety in Restaurants - Cooking (OSHA)
Booklets
Health and Safety for Hospitality Small Business Guide. See pages 16-18 for information on cleaning a deep fat fryer safely. (PDF 3.2 MB)
White Spot Health & Safety Information. See page on handling hot oil (PDF 243 KB)
Hazard Alert
99-14 Wear flame-resistant clothing when working with flammable liquids and gases
Poster
That's gotta hurt: Get help and use oven mitts (PDF 1MB)
Information Alert
Hot
Oil/Grease Fryers (CCOHS)
Using Mobile Equipment or Motor Vehicles
(Approximately 250 claims a year)Generally, young workers are at risk to injury when working with mobile equipment or motor vehicles in any industry. A significant number of motor vehicle accidents involve truck drivers, couriers, delivery drivers, and material handlers. Injuries range in severity from minor sprains, strains and tears to multiple fractures or even death. One in 25 claims is a serious fracture. These serious injuries have a profound impact to the worker, usually requiring hospitalization and rehabilitation.
OHS Regulation
Part 8 Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment:
Section 8.24: High visibility apparel
Part 16 Mobile Equipment
Part 17 Transportation of Workers
Web Resource
Youth in agriculture - Tractors (OSHA)
Hazard Alerts
04-16 Garbage truck backs into pole, injuring worker on riding step
04-10 Jump-started crawler runs over operator
02-19 Student dies when vehicle rolls off lift
02-03 Lawnmower overturns, fatally crushing worker
99-07 Establish procedures for working near mobile equipment
Accident Alert
Servicing Mobile Equipment: Crushing Injuries
Signs & Posters
Watch for pedestrians
Watch for vehicles
No pedestrians
Watch out for vehicles
Where's Joe
A quick way off can slow you down PDF (151 KB)
Video
Lost Youth Video-Four stories of injured young workers
Print summaries of John's Story (PDF 54KB) and Nick's Story (PDF 52KB)
Working with Food Slicers
(Approximately 150 claims a year)Young workers employed in restaurants and supermarkets are at significant risk to injury as a result of working with food slicers. Generally these injuries occur to deli sales clerks, cooks, food service helpers/preparers and retail sales clerks in supermarkets. Around eighty percent of these injuries result in cuts and lacerations. One in 80 claims is an amputation of a finger or thumb. These serious injuries result in significant physical impairment, impacting the injured worker's quality of life.
Booklet
Lockout BK21(PDF 2 MB) (Updated: September 2005)
* Available in Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Hazard Alert
99-06 Use extreme caution when using meat slicers
Poster
That's gotta hurt: Save your fingers. Use the guards. (PDF 510KB)
Working in Proximity of Running Equipment or Machinery
(Approximately 125 claims a year)Young workers are at significant risk to injury as a result of getting "caught in" running equipment or machinery in a number of industries. Generally these injuries occur to labourers in wood and paper manufacturing, metal fabrication, food and beverage processing, and construction, as well as machine operators, material handlers, bakers and cooks. Half of these injuries involve conveyors, food and beverage processing machinery, sawing, drilling and milling machinery, and powered hand tools. While a variety of injuries can be inflicted, cuts, lacerations, and fractures are most common. One in 10 claims is a serious injury. In most cases, such serious injuries involve an amputation that has a long term, profound impact to the worker, usually requiring hospitalization and rehabilitation.
OHS Regulation
Part 3 Rights and Responsibilities:
Sections
3.12-3.13: Refusal of Unsafe Work
Part 4 General Conditions:
Section 4.3: Safe machinery and equipment
Part 8 Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment
Part 10 De-energization and Lockout
Part 12 Tools, Machinery and Equipment
Part 27 Wood Products Manufacturing
Web Resource
Youth in agriculture - Machinery (OSHA)
Booklet
Lockout BK21 (PDF 2 MB) (Updated: September 2005)
* Available in Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Pamphlet
Chainsaw Safety (PDF 334KB)
Accident Alerts
Workers seriously injured in conveyor accidents
How to Prevent Caught-In-Machinery Accidents
Signs & Posters
Guarding
Lockout
Get Authority Before Operating
Keep Off Conveyor
Warning This Unit Operates Automatically
Don't stop there! PDF (142 KB)
Video
Lost Youth Video-Four stories of injured young workers
- Full version Contains language that may be offensive to some, viewer discretion is advised.
- Edited version Coarse language removed, but graphic scenes remain.
Guarding
Young Worker Stories
Print summaries of
Jennifer's Story (PDF 72KB)
Michael's Story (PDF 48KB)
Paul's Story (PDF 4KB)
Chris' Story (PDF 21KB)
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