Summer safety blitz to focus on young workers across Ontario

Ontario is launching a four-month blitz to ensure students are safe and don’t get injured while working on their summer jobs.

Beginning May 1, 2012, an enforcement blitz will target workplaces where new and young workers are employed. Health and safety inspectors from the Ministry of Labour will check that employers comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The blitz will ensure that young workers are protected by required safety measures, equipment and procedures to prevent injuries; are properly instructed, trained and supervised on jobs; and meet minimum age requirements.

The inspectors will shut down unsafe work sites when necessary and employers could face fines through the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

“Everyone should share in this responsibility to make sure new and young workers are safe on the job. We want co-workers to be leaders and look out for these new workers. And with this blitz, we’ll also make sure that employers are properly training and supervising our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers,” said Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour.

Between 2006 and 2010, 34 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents. The highest number of lost-time-at-work claims for on-the-job injuries involved young workers employed in occupations such as sales and service, transport/equipment operators and labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities.

Since the launch of Safe At Work Ontario in June 2008, the province’s team of more than 400 health and safety inspectors has conducted more than 160,000 proactive and 66,000 reactive field visits, issued more than 360,000 compliance orders and conducted 25 proactive inspection blitzes.

www.labour.gov.on.ca