Here’s a sobering thought for supervisors of young workers, from WSPS Consultant Tova Larsen. “Having you as a supervisor can either leave your young workers safer and wiser for the rest of their lives OR less safe and more prone to injuries now and in the future.”

“Studies show supervisors can have a powerful influence on a young worker’s health and safety behaviours and beliefs, especially a young person’s first supervisor,” explains Tova. “So, you want to get it right.”

How can you ensure your safety interactions with young workers are effective, positive, and leave them in a better place than before they met you? “Supervisors need to ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to health and safety, and understand a young worker’s physical, developmental, and cognitive capabilities and limitations,” says Tova. Here are Tova’s six tips.

6 tips for managing young workers: What every supervisor needs to know

1. Make sure your actions match your words.

If a young worker reports a hazard and you ignore it, accuse them of making a fuss, or say you will look into it, and then don’t, you are sending the message that you don’t care about safety, says Tova. “You’ve started a negative feedback cycle that will discourage them from reporting another hazard in future, no matter where they are.”

However, if you listen to the worker’s concerns, thank them for their vigilance, take the report seriously and act promptly, you create a positive feedback loop. ‘You’ve proved the system works and encouraged the worker to continue to be vigilant about workplace hazards and to report them (as required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)) in order to keep themselves and everyone else in the workplace safe.”

2. Consider a young worker’s stage of development, capabilities and limitations when assigning work.

“Young workers are not mini-adults,” says Tova. “They are still growing, developing their physical strength and motor skills. They are also still learning how to be self-confident, use their judgement, and understand the consequences of their actions. Many are reluctant to speak up or make waves, want to fit in with their peers, are often not aware of their capabilities and limitations, and are more likely to take risks than adults. They need an adult to guide them.”

“If you ask a young worker to lift a 100-pound weight, for instance, they will probably try to do it,“ says Tova, “because they don’t know they can’t. That could easily result in an injury.” The lesson for supervisors: “Before assigning work to a young worker, think about the tasks, the risks, the equipment, the physical demands, and the dangers of the job. Then ask: are they physically capable of doing this, and are they developmentally ready to do this?”

3. Don’t buy into the negative myths that young workers can’t control their behaviour or follow safety rules. 

Under section 27(1) of the OHSA, supervisors must ensure that workers, including young workers, are working safely, using or wearing required protective devices and clothing, and following safe work procedures. Changing behaviours and following rules comes down to three things within the supervisor’s control:

1. clear expectations, 
2. being held accountable, and 
3. providing a reward.

“Young people have to be able to see the carrot at the end of the stick,” says Tova. “If there’s no carrot, it’s just a stick. That doesn’t resonate well with adults, and it doesn’t resonate with young people, either.” Here are ways supervisors can create rewards for young workers:

• Create opportunities for young workers to develop mastery or demonstrate creativity. “Give them a task, allow them to get good at it and celebrate that success.
•  Use age and developmentally appropriate stretch goals to incentivize workers to take on new challenges. “A stretch goal is designed to motivate the worker to go above and beyond their typical performance levels, such as being given opportunities to take Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification training, grow into a new role within the organization, or have input on developing a new task design with a diverse team of colleagues.”
•  Clearly articulate ‘what’s in it for them’ to work safely, focusing on the immediate. “Teens can’t picture a consequence that doesn’t happen til long in the future, like their back hurting in their 40s. Remind them that working safely will keep them injury-free right now, so they can continue  to hang out with their friends or play their favourite sport.”

4. Mitigate risk-taking behaviours. Research suggests that teenagers are more likely to engage in risky behaviours due to changes in their brain development and emotional responses. Young workers may lack the experience and knowledge to fully understand the potential hazards of their jobs, and they may feel pressure to impress their employers or coworkers by working quickly or taking on tasks beyond their abilities. Risk-taking can be negatively influenced by friends, co-workers and even parents. 

The good news is that supervisor influence is found to lower individual risk-taking, says Tova.  “Supervisors must ensure, under section 27(2)(a) of the OHSA, that they advise young workers of any potential or actual danger to their health or safety, and that starts with training before they undertake new tasks. As much as possible, make training hands-on, practical, and timely – things they can start practicing immediately,” says Tova. 

Moreover, supervisors should be supportive and provide guidance to help young workers develop good judgment and decision-making skills.

5. Cultivate relationships with your young workers. Build a relationship with your young workers so they can trust and respect you enough to discuss safety issues. “Don’t wait for young workers to approach you,” notes Tova. “Studies show that only 30% of young workers are comfortable bringing a health and safety issue to their supervisor.”

“You need to start the conversation,” says Tova. “Don’t just ask, ‘do you have any concerns?’ You will be met with silence. You need to have meaningful safety conversations with your young workers every single day through a team huddle, individual observations, coaching, or behaviour correction.” 

6. Make sure your conversations with young workers are positive and blame-free. “For example, if you find a hazard that should have been reported, don’t say, ’You should have reported this to me,’ in an accusing manner,” explains Tova. “Instead, try something like, ‘Hey, I noticed this is damaged. Do you know when this first happened? Can I ask why you decided to keep working?”

How WSPS can help

Consulting
Need more support? Our expert consultants can provide on-site training for your supervisors as you prepare to welcome young workers in your workplace. Connect with a consultant.

Training

• Health and Safety Awareness for Ontario Workers (free 1-hour, eCourse)
• Managing Hazards & Risks (3.5 hours, Online Instructor-Led Training)
• Orientation on Health and Safety for New Workers (1.5 hours, eCourse)
• Supervisor Responsibilities and Due Diligence (4 hours, Online Instructor-Led eLearning)
• The Effective Supervisor - Building Strategies for Success (2 days, Online instructor-led training)
• Health & Safety for Managers & Supervisors (7 hours, e-Course)

Safety Connection

• Managing Young Workers – What Every Supervisor Needs to Know – May 27, 10:30 am (1.5 hours, free)

Resources

• New and Young Worker Orientation Guide
  
• 4 tips to protect young workers — and your business (article)
• 4 ways to support new and young workers (article)
• 15 tips for getting safety messages across to young workers (article)
• Managing Young Workers – What Every Supervisor Needs to Know (pre-recorded webinar)
• Quick Safety Tips: New and Young Workers (video series)
• Managing Young Workers – What Every Supervisor Needs to Know (pre-recorded webinar)
• Show new & young workers that safety is part of your organization's DNA (Trusted Leader Blog)

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.