Safety Battle Moves to Social Media

Social media has become the latest battleground in promoting messages about workplace safety in construction and across industry more broadly throughout Canada.

Earlier this month, Canada’s labour ministers invited young filmmakers to submit videos to the ‘It’s Your Job’ workplace safety video contest.

Following an agreement last September to directly engage youth about their safety and rights, federal, provincial and territorial ministers throughout the country are running the contest in an effort to raise awareness among young Canadians in these areas.

“There is a vital link between healthy, safe workplaces and Canada’s economic growth,” Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said earlier this month. “By engaging and informing our younger workers, we can be confident that they will contribute to building and sustaining safe workplaces.”

Submissions will highlight the importance of using protective equipment, complying with safety regulations and reporting unsafe conditions, incidents or illnesses.

Cash prizes are available for the top three submissions in each of two categories – secondary school students and residents between 18 to 24 years of age who are not in school. Winning entries will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges.

While the 18 to 24 contest is open to Canadians across the country, the competition for secondary school students is being run on a province-wide basis with winners selected for the various provinces and territories.

The videos, which can be entered any time up until April 5, will be posted on YouTube and will be voted on during North American Health and Safety Week from May 4 to 12.

The contest is the latest development in national efforts to raise awareness about the importance of safety among young workers.

Every year, more than 48,000 young Canadian employees are injured seriously enough to require time off work, and workers are four times more likely to be injured in their first month on the job than those who have more experience.

 By Andrew Heaton