The Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) of Canada, launched the Young Worker Safety Awareness Campaign on the 29th of September 2008 in Canada. The campaign aims to draw attention to the importance of young worker safety and to share the available resources which can help decrease injuries and fatalities. «Health and safety is a right and responsibility», said Maureen Shaw, president and CEO of IAPA. A workplace injury or death «affects a whole community and it will take a whole community to solve that problem».

October was then announced as the Healthy Workplace Month. A key step suggested was that providing knowledge to workers on hazards will help prevent accidents. Their right to know about the environment they work in can help them understand the risks involved and will help them question the process. Programs like the IAPA campaign and partnerships between governments, industries and workers are best placed to advocate for secure workplaces for young people.

For more information on IAPA initiatives and available tools, see on the IAPA Web site: Young Workers.

See also:

October is Healthy Workplace Month on the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) Web site.

The Canadian Healthy Workplace Council Web site.