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Serious injuries to young workers ruin young lives but can be prevented
This summer, thousands of young British Columbians will leave school to start summer jobs or enter the workforce permanently. Young workers share one thing in common – they are at high risk of being injured at work.
In fact every working day in B.C. 34 young workers are injured on the job, or one every 42 minutes. Every week, five of these young workers are permanently disabled in work related accidents.
The latest statistics show that while overall young worker injuries and fatalities are on the decline, permanent disabilities such as amputations, broken backs, and third degree burns are not decreasing.
Four serious young worker accidents are featured in a compelling new video, Lost Youth: Four Stories. The video features young workers speaking about the new reality of living in a wheelchair or learning to live with prosthetic devices instead of fingers or a leg.
The WCB has a wide range of resources available to help young people and their employers create safe workplaces.