As summer approaches, many students are preparing to enter the workforce for the first time.
WorkSafeBC reminds employers to provide proper training, orientation, and supervision to young and new workers.
“Young workers are highly vulnerable to workplace injuries,” said Angelique Prince, Director of Prevention Programs and Services at WorkSafeBC.
“Inexperience, inadequate training and supervision, and unfamiliarity with workplace hazards can all increase the risk of injury — especially when workers don’t feel empowered to ask questions or raise safety concerns.”
Each year, nearly 7,000 young workers are injured on the job province-wide, with serious injuries remaining steady at approximately 800 annually.
Over the past five years, 34 young workers have tragically lost their lives due to workplace incidents.
Injuries in 2024 were most prevalent in service-sector jobs, accounting for 1,282 claims, followed by construction (1,063 claims), and retail (492 claims).
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