"Last year 13 young Alberta workers died of work-related injuries and almost 70,000 inexperienced workers were hurt on the job," says Guy Kerr, President and CEO, Workers' Compensation Board-Alberta. "This is unacceptable

- we need to work together to better train and supervise workers to eliminate these tragedies."

    For the past seven years, the Heads Up campaign has alerted young workers and their employers to the dangers of being a rookie on the job. This year, the poster campaign brings back some of the best posters from the past - 'Put

the safety on', 'Gentlemen protect your tools', and 'Why make your first day your last.' Post them in your lunchroom or on the bulletin board, and help keep young workers safe this summer!

    "We encourage young workers to know their rights, make sure they get proper training and be aware of the dangers on the job," says Mike Cardinal, Minister of Human Resources and Employment. "If a young worker thinks a task

is unsafe, they must question their supervisor."

But everyone has a role in workplace safety!

    Employers

    -  Give young workers proper orientation and training before they start

       work and provide ongoing training.

    -  Don't assume young workers know what they're doing.

    Educators

    -  Teach students their rights.

    -  Show videos of what can happen when they don't work safely.

    Parents

    -  Talk to your children about dangers on the job before they start

       working.

    -  Make them think about safety first and encourage them not to feel

       pressured.

    "It's important for everyone to take their role in workplace safety seriously," says Gary Wagar, Executive Director, Alberta Construction Safety Association. "Watch each others' backs this summer and alert your supervisor and co-workers to the possible dangers in your workplace."

    Heads Up is a partnership between Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Alberta Construction Safety Association, Manufacturers' Health and Safety Association, Alberta Hotel Safety Association, and the Workers' Compensation Board-Alberta aimed at helping rookies 'put the safety on'.

    The Workers' Compensation Board (WCB)-Alberta is a not-for-profit corporation legislated to administer the workers' compensation system for the province. Through the payment of premiums, 106,000 employers fund this no-

fault system that provides compensation for workplace injuries and occupational diseases to 1.4 million workers.

 Fact Sheet

    Heads Up. Work Smart. Work Safe.  Safety Awareness Campaign 2005

    Alberta Workplace Injury Statistics

    -----------------------------------

    -  Every three minutes and twenty-one seconds, a worker is injured on an

       Alberta worksite. In 2004, there were 154,377 work-related injuries.

       Of these, more than 37,000 were serious enough for the worker to miss

       work beyond the day of the accident.

    -  Over the past five years (2001 to 2004) more than 763,594 Albertans

       experienced a work-related injury, which equates to the population(1)

       of Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan.

    -  Over the past five years (2000 to 2004) more than 189,852 young

       workers, under the age of 25, experienced a work-related injury. That

       equates to the populations(2) of Grande Prairie, Lethbridge,

       Lloydminster and Medicine Hat.

    -  Of the 124 workplace fatalities administered by the WCB, in 2004,

       thirteen were workers under age 25.

    Inexperience on the job plays a major factor in number of lost time

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

    claims

    ------

    -  For injured workers under the age of 25 - nearly 58 per cent were

       injured during their first six months on the job.

                            ----------------------------

       DETAIL: For workers under the age of 25, there were more than 38,505

       work-related injuries reported in 2004. Of these more than 6,719 young

       workers were hurt badly enough to miss work beyond the day of the

       accident.

    -  For injured workers over the age of 25 - nearly 35.3 per cent were

       injured during their first year on the job.

                            ----------------------

       DETAIL: For workers over the age of 25, there were more than 118,547

       work-related injuries reported in 2004. Of these more than 26,169

       workers were hurt badly enough to miss work beyond the day of the

       accident.

    -  In 2004, the highest risk industries for all workers, based on the

       number of claims reported were: food convenience store, meat

       processing, and trucking.

    For young workers - those hurt within the first year on the job - the top

three industry areas in 2004 were: food convenience stores, meat processing

and restaurant/take-out food service.

    -  For young workers, the most common type of injuries reported include:

       struck by an object, overexertion and falls.

For further information: Media Contact: Jill Lindstrand, Communications

Advisor, Phone: (780) 498-7420, Fax: (780) 498-7875