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Your Workplace

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0 IilT' *il%###i "lIi###i r*;#Partnership

- a non-profit organizatron committed to nurturing partner_ships among schools, business and the community

- ToKw gives youngcanadians an opportunity to join theirparents at work for one day each year.

Besides exposing Grade 9 students to a vaiety of employment oppor-tunities, this voluntary program reinforces the importance of education,says veronica Lacey, president and cEo of The Learning partnership.

"It's an opportunity for sfudents to explore different career paths, viewvarious workplace roles and responsibilities, and engage in meaningfuldialogue with their parents and other adults.,,

Family tiesover 90 percent of rake our Kids to work participants spend the day withtheir caregiver, giving parents and kids a chance to establish cofilmonground and become closer. while this can be encouraging and rewarding(and perhaps a little trying), it can also be dangerous. once in the work-place, students may be exposed to the same risks and dangers as employeesbut are less able to handle them because of their inexperience and imma-turity. "Familiarity with the workplace makes people forget the dangersthat are present to someone seeing the workplace for the first time,,, notesDiane Brunetti, underwriting and marketing coordinator with the ontarioSchool Boards' Insurance Exchange (OSBIE).

september/0ctober2001 AcctDENTpREvENTtoN 15

prove they can function like an adult intheir parent's workplace."

The comments expressed by Brunettiand Villeneuve reflect more than profes-sional concern. During the November 1,

2000 Take Our Kids to Work day, programparticipants Robbie Fulbrook and AmandaPeat were fatally injured at John Deere'sWelland Ontario works plant when the A11

Terrain Vehicle (ATV) they were drivinghit a parked transport truck. The incident isa harsh reminder that fun can quickly turn

s what precautions to take.Also think about:s what worked well last year (if your

workplace participated)s what didn't, ands what could be done to improve this

year's day.

Note: repeat this review every year.2. Prepare an orientation session thatfocuses on health and safely issues rele-vant to the work environment. Anticipateparticipants' questions, and make sure

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"Kids are curious and that's often theirgreatest asset," points out Ed Villeneuve,vice president of safety, health and envi-ronmental assurance at Noranda Inc. anda member of The Learning Partnership,sExpert Safety Panel. "But if left uncon-trolled, that curiosity can become a risk tothem, their friends and everyone else atthe facility they are visiting." Accordingto Brunetti, "They may also be over con-fident and willing to take chances to

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into tragedy if the proper measures are nottaken to ensure an activity is safe.

A greater emphasis on safetyWithin weeks of the John Deere incident,The Learning Partnership assembled anexpert safety panel. The panel compriseseducators, safety experts from govern-ment, industry arrd organized labour, thelegal profession, safe workplace associa-tions (including IAPA), the WorkplaceSafety and Insurance Board, and OSBIE.The panel's mandate: share best prac-tices, review how workplaces currentlyparticipate in the program, and developrecommendations to strengthen currentworkplace safety guidelines. By February2001, less than three months after it wasconvened, the panel had already delivereda series of recommendations to helpensure that this yearh event is a safe andrewarding learning experience for every-one. (For a copy ofthe panel s recommen-dations, visit : www.tlp.on. ca.)

7 suggestions for a fun and safe dayAs a starting point for your TOKWactivities, consider the following ways inwhich workplaces can plan for a safe andproductive day.

1. Do yoar homeworh Review and dis-cuss the following with all stakeholders(e.g., senior management, HR, the safetycommittee, supervisors, and participatingparents) before TOKW takes place:

= what you hope to achieves how many students will be participating

= what they'll be doings where they will be located* what risks they may face, and

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you have the answers. If possible, enlistworkplace health and safety experts toreview the content and context of allmaterials produced for your TOKW pro-gram. (See also "On the day itself")3. Develop simple communication mute-rials that expluin how the day will work,participants' obligations, etc, Include aconsent form that indicates students haveread the material and will live up to theirobligations.4. Advise all employees of what will takeplace, and what their role, d any, is inensuring the day progresses safely. Forexample, says Lyle Hargrove, director ofhealth safety and training with theCanadian Auto Workers (CAW), "if thereare areas ofthe building that should be offlimits, employees should be instructed onwhat to do if a student enters that area."5. Determine u set ratio of students .foreach supewisor thut is uppropriate forthe workplace.6. If possible or appropriate, assign astudent health und safety representativefor the day.7. Conduct a workplace inspection withTOKI,Y day in mind before November 7,

2001.

0n the day itselfThe suggestions below will help ensurethat your plaming pays off.8. Conduct the heulth and safety orien-tation immediately, ensuring everyoneinvolved has all the information theyneed. Topics include participants' obliga-tions, PPE requirements, workplace haz-ards, and what to do in case of emergency.

At Campbell Soup Co. in Toronto,

TOKW participants remain within pre-determined tour routes and wear hairnets,ear plugs, and lab coats as needed. In theinterest ofpersonal and product safety, alljewelry and loose clothing are removedand only close-toed shoes are permitted.9. Conduct a workplace tour, explainingwhut goes on bthere, pointing out haz-ards und explaining how the workplacemanages them. Alternatively, take parti-cipants on a workplace safety inspectionso that they can help to identify dangersand gain a better understanding ofhealthand safety rules and guidelines. It'simportant to create an environment wheresfudents are encouraged to speak abouthealth and safety concerns, ask questions,and comment on situations they observedduring the day, says Lacey.10. Keep students busy. Give them some-thing to do that is safe, within their skilllevel and has value for the students andthe host workplace. Hargrove remindsemployees and parents that students areat the workplace to observe or performlight duties, not take on tasks for whichthey lack the skills and qualifications.Once you've assigned participants a task,never leave them unsupervised. Betteryet, never leave them alone.

"We try to make the day as interestingand interactive as possible," says PatriciaMaynard, health and safety coordinatorat Campbell Soup Co. in Toronto. Afterlearning a little about Campbell's begin-nings, students take part in interactivepresentations on such topics as sales,marketing, and research and develop-ment. Participants then split into smallgroups to tour the plant and take part intaste testing and product sampling (nodoubt a high scoring activity with thekids). In addition to learning more aboutwhat their parents or guardians do, stu-dents learn about the [pe of employmentopportunities within the company.11. Resist the temptation to have fun atthe expense of safety. Following lastyear's John Deere incident, the coroner'sinquest jury recommended prohibitingstudents who participate in any educa-tional program to operate any motorizedvehicle, under any circumstances. Accord-ing to Brunetti, OSBIE has handed downthe same advice to cooperative educationprograms because the majority of inci-dents it has dealt with were the result ofstudents driving motorized vehicles."Fortunately, most of these incidents areproperfy damage claims but some involveinjuries to students." And, don't rely onstudents' good judgment. Take the coro-ner's advice and remove all kevs from the

ignition. (Thefull set of recommendationsarisingfrom the inquest can be viewed atwww.tlp.on.ca.)

Don't let one tragic incident preventyour workplace from participating. "Safe-ty is our top priority," notes VeronicaLacey. "With the help of key expertsarrd organizations, we're confident thatwe have developed a set of guidelines,materials, and links to expert resourcesthat ensure the Take Our Kids to Workprogram is delivered successfully in allworkplaces." Ed Villeneuve believes TheLearning Partnership's guidelines areexcellent. But as with any guidelines, hesays, they should be considered a mini-

mum. "Employers should be extra dili-gent in providing as much information as

they can on the safety issues at their facil-ity. Take Our Kids to Work is a fun way tolearn. Don't let it tum into a tragedy."

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progrom, coll 14161204-4478 or visit ww.tlp.on.co.

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