Keeping workers safe can and should start at a young age.
The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission for Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) moved forward recently to offer First-Aid/CPR training to high school students enrolled in Workplace Safety 3220 (WS 3220) throughout the province. The three-year program will provide training for nearly 3,000 students and is being supported by a $75,000 contribution from Husky Energy.
WS 3220 bridges the gap between school and the workplace. Students who have successfully completed the course enter the workforce already certified or trained in various safety programs, such as: First-Aid/CPR, WHIMIS, electrical safety, and Worker Health and Safety Representative Certification. The course is now offered to over 30 schools across Newfoundland and Labrador, including those in Mary’s Harbour, Corner Brook, Botwood, Grand Bank, and Mount Pearl.
“First-Aid/CPR courses advance a preventive safety culture in young workers,” said Commission CEO Leslie Galway. “These courses build the capacity to deal with medical emergencies while providing skills and knowledge to make health and safety a priority at home, work and play. We are delighted to partner with Husky Energy to help a future generation of workers start their careers with safety already top of mind.”
First-Aid training in the workplace is required by law, and a necessary component of an emergency response system. Providing certified training to students significantly expands the number of qualified responders in both rural and urban centers.
Building Skills and Confidence
“Bringing first-aid and CPR training to high school students across the province will help them build skills and confidence,” added Malcolm Maclean, senior vice-president, Atlantic Region for Husky Energy. “It will also mean that every community will have more trained responders in the event of an emergency.”
The focus on educating youth on injury prevention is working.
Young workers, aged 15-24 years, continue to lead the province in reducing workplace injuries. For 2013, youth reported 1.5 lost-time incidents per 100 workers, up slightly from 1.4 in 2012. This rate continues to trend below the provincial injury rate, showing that both our youth and their employers benefit from an early awareness of how to prevent injuries at work.
The Commission supports many youth-oriented programs which promote awareness of workplace health and safety.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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