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With Spring nearly upon us, seasonal workers “spring” back into action as the weather changes, many of which are outdoors. A lot of these jobs expose workers to environments that call for higher safety measures due to the nature of work, i.e., roofing, construction requiring ladders, scaffolding or boom lifts. As Spring is a time of year for nature to bring forth new life, it is also a time when it is the beginning of new opportunities for young workers, as with all things, growth, and development take time and patience.
For younger workers, it is the first time to experience all the expectations of having a job and learning to navigate all it requires. Many reading this will remember those times with fond memories, and others not-so-fond. For this reason, anyone with work experience should commit to helping new/younger workers develop in their new roles, especially in workplace safety. While this is also important for workers of any age, the advantage for workers who have been in the workforce for some time is that they have experienced different situations that offered training or provided some form of workplace expectations. A great point made in a recent Health and Safety Topics article by OSHA[1], one point made was regarding what the expectation for employers are:
“Ensure that young workers receive training to recognize hazards and are competent in safe work practices.”
The points offered and recommended practices from OSHA are very helpful in this article. When time is given to younger workers, especially in workplace safety practices, the impact on their lifetime of knowledge, skills and abilities will increase as they grow confident in their given fields. It will also help younger workers develop a strong workplace safety mindset in all they do.
Let’s help the future generations of our workforce together. Harper College can help you or your company meet these training goals. We offer FREE OSHA-based workplace safety classes, with some offered in Spanish.
