Grade 9 can be an exciting year for many. No, I’m not talking about the overloads of homework we start to get, but the fact that it’s the year many people, such as myself, begin to seek out and apply for their first job! For many people, the thought of having a job also brings along the idea of having lots or extra money to spend, but, a job can be dangerous and can result in situations you’ll probably want to try and avoid.

Now that DI is done, we’ve shifted gears in our Maker class a bit. This unit of Work Safety brings us into a very different theme of topic. This is a very serious topic to discuss as it’s meant to keep us young workers safe as we begin our search for our first jobs.

This photo is from the LRD Initiaion Process

We began the unit by watching a few videos about the orientation young workers go through before starting the job. This, I learned, is to ensure that you feel confident and safe at work and to make sure all initiates know what they’re doing and what is expected.

This unit has made me aware of all the precautions someone, such as myself should be aware of while working on a job as a young employee. It turns out that young workers or initiates are the most likely to be endangered while working. This is mainly because others take advantage of our age and the fact that we are new to the industry. To be honest, many teenagers would do anything to get extra pay so it isn’t that surprising that our age group is most  To show a bit of what I learned this past unit, I created an annotated drawing of what I imagine goes on in someone’s brain. I like to imagine a person’s brain like a giant machine or factory and each item or box is something important, such as an important aspect or memory. Therefore, you’ll notice in the photo below that a very important point about work Safety is written on a box in the “Brain Factory”.

Before beginning this unit, I thought that most dangers come from sharp and obvious dangers such as saws, knives, broken glass, used needles, etc. Turns, out, chemicals and even natural causes such as harsh temperatures and bugs can harm as easily as any sharp object. Some can even be lethal and cause death if not treated properly.

Every worker has the right to refuse work if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable doing the task. While there are certain procedures if this situation were to occur, no employee should feel unsafe while on the job.

Although this is a no brainer, safety equipment and appropriate clothes should be worn at all times. This helps prevent diseases that could be passed around by bugs such as mosquitoes and tics as well as  important organs and body parts. While our bodies can get rid of chemicals or poisons overtime, a constant exposure to these circumstances can lead to a build up of these harmful products and bugs. Of course, all incidents that happen on the job should be reported to either a supervisor, boss or employer.

The most important thing I learned from this unit was to never be afraid of speaking up for yourself and refusing to do something that makes you feel unsafe. It’s important that I protect myself from dangers of any kind.

Thanks for reading!

Your Blogging Friend Kiera