Lesson 28 — Activity 1: Job Safety

In this activity, you will examine information on young worker safety. Read the excerpt below from the Alberta Government Worker Health and Safety publication. Then answer the questions at the end of this activity.

Click here to access the entire publication if you would like to read it further.

Courtesy of Alberta Government

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Highlights of the Report — Who Gets Hurt?

Young workers between the ages of 17 and 24 years old are most likely to be injured at work. This is partly due to the fact that young workers are inexperienced, and they tend to take risks at work that other more experienced workers would not. Read the highlights below regarding young workers in Alberta.

• In 2010, the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) – Alberta accepted 3,581 lost-time claims and 8,267 disabling injury claims from workers aged 15 to 24, a decrease of 11.6% and 3.0%, respectively, from 2009.
• Young workers accounted for 14.7% of lost-time claims in 2010, 17.9% of the disabling injury claims and 15.6% of those in employment. 
• By major industry sector, the Wholesale and Retail sector had the largest number of lost-time claims from young workers, and the Construction and Construction Trade Services sector had the largest number of disabling injury claims. 
• The Agriculture and Forestry sector had the highest estimated lost-time injury claim and disabling injury claim frequency for young workers, at 4.27 per 100 young workers and 6.65 per 100 young workers, respectively. 
• In 2010, young workers employed in the trades helpers, construction, and transportation labourers and related occupations group accounted for the highest proportion of lost-time claims and disabling injury claims, 15.4% and 18.0%, respectively. They represented 6.5% of all young workers in employment. 
• Sprains, strains, and tears continued to be the leading nature of injury, accounting for 45.6% of the disabling injury claims submitted by young workers. The back (including spine and spinal cord) was the most commonly injured body part, accounting for 20.8% of all disabling injury claims. 
• The primary sources of injury causing disabling injury claims were persons, plants, animals, and minerals, accounting for 20.6% of all disabling injury claims, followed by parts and materials, 16.9%. The most common type of event or exposure was bodily reaction or exertion, which accounted for 38.7% of disabling injury claims to young workers. 
• In 2010, the median days-lost for young workers was five. This was lower than the median for all workers, seven days. The average days-lost increased to 16 days per claim in 2010, lower than the average for all workers, 23. 
• In 2010, the WCB accepted eight occupational fatalities from young workers, representing 5.9% of all workplace fatalities accepted in Alberta. 
• The WCB accepted 37 fatalities from workers aged 15 to 24 from 2006 to 2010. The Construction and Construction Trade services sector had the most with 15 fatalities. This was followed by the Transportation, Communication and Utilities sector with 7 fatalities.