I’m sure we’ve all seen (and maybe been) little kids who love watching construction workers use big machines. Today my son is nearly an adult, but in the past we watched a lot of construction projects. I had fond memories of this time when I chatted with WorkSafeBC industry specialist Helen Chandler about Keeping your kids safe at work: A guide for parents.
I asked Helen how parents can start the conversation about workplace safety with their kids. She said a good time to bring it up is when you first begin talking with them about wearing a helmet while riding a bike.
She told me that when her son was interested in looking at all the big machinery on construction sites, she would point out the construction workers.
“I’d say to him: ‘See the hard hats they’re wearing to protect their heads? It’s like the hard hat you wear to protect your head when you’re on your scooter or bike.’”
Encourage kids to ask questions when looking for work
Once kids are ready for their first jobs, it’s important that they ask questions about safety during job interviews.
“It’s a great thing for them to ask because it shows the employer that they understand safety,” Helen says. “It also gives them an idea of the safety culture at the workplace. They’ll know it’s a good employer if they understand safety and talk about safety orientation, training, and the personal protective equipment they will provide.”
Parents also need to keep conversations going after young workers start new jobs. Encourage your kids to ask questions if they don’t understand something or feel they need more training.
“When you start a job, you’re often hit with a deluge of information and it’s hard to take everything in,” says Helen. “It’s okay to say: ‘I missed a part about that particular piece of equipment. Could you run it by me again?’”
Helen and her team are sharing the updated guide with parents throughout B.C. at education conferences, events, and online. This version of the guide includes input from Jessica Kruger, who was seriously injured at work when she was 14, and her mom, Mary.
Thanks to Helen for telling me about her work and her own experience as a mom.
This article was originally published by WorkSafeBC and is reposted with permission.