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It’s scary sending your kid into the workforce for the first time. Will their boss or manager take care of them? Will they get along with their co-workers? What if a customer is rude to them?
What if they’re asked to do a task without the proper personal protective equipment (PPE)?
You don’t want to be a helicopter parent, but you do want to keep your child safe. We get it. Here’s what you need to know about PPE, your role in protecting your child, and what you can do to help them without overstepping.
The importance of personal protective equipment
PPE protects your child against hazards, both safety and health. While they don’t eliminate hazards, they do reduce the risk of injury. PPE plays a vital role in workplace safety.
Items like hard hats, safety glasses, and gloves prevent or reduce the severity of a potential bodily injury. Hearing, respiratory and body protection items like earplugs, masks, and aprons or lab coats can help prevent illness or adverse health effects.
The hazards can be obvious, like hot pans in a kitchen or falling debris on a construction site, but they can also be hidden, like asbestos exposed during a tear-down or loud music in a venue. The more you’re aware of the industry hazards your child may face, the better informed you’ll be on the appropriate PPE for their situation.our teen’s first step to staying safe is to ensure they are aware of their rights. Employers are required by law to take every reasonable precaution to protect the worker. In the case of the Ottawa workers, this means employers should have either removed the ice wall or given workers a safe space to work until the ice wall was removed. Workers also have the right to refuse unsafe work, without repercussions. Upon seeing the ice wall, the Ottawa construction workers were well within their rights to refuse to work there until it was made safe to do so.
A parent's role in ensuring their children's safety at their first job
Safety starts at home - As a parent, you can encourage a culture of safety within your own home. There are many different opportunities to engage kids in safety in daily activities. For example, pointing out the right PPE you are wearing yourself when doing home renovations or projects. This approach ingrains an internal barometer within your child for what’s safe and what’s not. Be sure to lead by example. For better or worse, our kids mirror our actions and attitudes.
Car talks - Let’s be real: Your teen probably doesn’t want to talk about workplace safety. It’s not the most exciting topic for them, but it’s important to open the door of communication. Having workplace safety chats in the car can help.
Here are a few PPE-related topics to ask your kid about on your next drive:
- Safety training and PPE orientation: Did someone show them how to be safe and how to use the PPE properly?
- Workers’ rights: Do they know they are entitled to proper PPE? Legally, Ontario employers are responsible for providing workers with PPE, equipment and any protective devises.
- Unsafe working conditions: Do they know what to do when faced with unsafe work conditions? Under the law, employees have the right to refuse unsafe work.
If car talks aren’t working for you and your teen, there are a few other things you can try to get your kid to take workplace safety seriously.
Assessing the workplace: What you can do as a parent to keep your kid safe on the job
You want to balance protecting your child while giving them privacy, respect, and the confidence that they can do their job on their own. Here are three actions you can take without overstepping.
Research the job and industry - The more you know, the better you’re equipped to help out with any questions or concerns your teen may have. And the more you know about their job and industry, the more informed questions you can ask.
Research the potential hazards your child may face at work and the accompanying PPE they’ll need by looking into their job and the industry.
Talking to your child's employer - Having a relationship with your child’s employer, manager, or supervisor can give you an inclination of the environment they’ll be working in. Asking your child if it’s okay if you introduce yourself to their colleagues is a considerate act and ensures you’re respecting boundaries.
When you meet your child’s manager, ask about the safety protocols and policies relating to PPE and its availability on the job site.
Site visits - Visiting your child’s workplace can also help you to better understand the environment they’re working in. Again, it’s best to ask permission from your teen before showing up. When you’re at their workplace, take a look around for potential hazards and PPE usage.