Protect Children Participating in Take Our Kids to Work Day

Nov. 6, 2013 is the 19th annual Take Our Kids to Work Day in Canada. Created by The Learning Partnership, the program helps students in Grade 9 (and other participating young people) understand the realities of working life and begin exploring and planning their future career paths.

From a safety perspective, it’s an opportunity to begin training workers of the future on the importance of workplace safety and their safety rights and responsibilities. After all, young workers are especially vulnerable to injury on the job. So starting this training as early as possible is a great way to protect them when they enter the workforce.

If you let workers bring their children to work for the day, require the workers and their kids to sign a consent form.

And to get feedback from the children who participate, give them this survey.

While the kids are in your workplace, treat them like any other visitor to the premises’that is, take reasonable care to ensure their health and safety. Here are some safety tips for Take Our Kids to Work Day from SafeManitoba:

  • Determine if there are any activities in the workplace or areas of the workplace that would preclude children from being present.
  • Provide all participants with a safety orientation that covers an overview of the company’s OHS policies and the safety procedures relevant to their day in the workplace, including procedures in the event of an emergency.
  • Provide and properly fit students with any required PPE, such as hardhats or safety glasses.
  • Provide competent supervision of the children at all times.
  • Bar students from using machinery, equipment or tools unless they’re properly trained and authorized to do so by the school and parent/guardian.
  • Provide instructions or restrict student access to any high hazard areas.