The Truth Hurts

Even before you start your first job, you should start thinking about safety. At your job interview, keep an eye out for signs that the employer takes safety seriously. Here are some steps that you can take:

Young workers between the ages of 15 to 24 years old make up about 15 percent of the Canadian workplace. * They are also the largest percentage of the part-time, temporary, seasonal, contract, and casual workforce.

Young workers are more likely than adults to be injured on the job. Although they work 10% of the hours of all workers, they injure themselves at a rate of 16%. **

In 2007, there were 38 fatalities among young workers. ***

Each year, over 48,000 young workers are injured seriously enough to require time off work. ***

Being new to a job and working in settings or jobs with hazards put a young worker at higher risk for injury - not their age or individual characteristics. ****