The part that keeps you up at night
Safety on the job
Young workers are injured at a disproportionate rate in their first six months on any job. Almost all of it is preventable through orientation, supervision and one non-negotiable rule: the work stops when it isn't safe.
Interactive Checklist · OHS Section 3.22
Before the first shift
Readiness
0%
0 of 8 conditions verified.
Unverified items are questions for the employer and the district coordinator.
Cheat Sheet
The Three Rights: every worker in BCSource: WorkSafeBC, Your rights and responsibilities as a worker, opens in a new tabSource: WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation 3.12, refusal of unsafe work, opens in a new tab
Right to Know
The employer must tell your child about every hazard on the site and train them to work safely around it, including chemical hazards through WHMIS labelling and safety data sheets.
Right to Participate
Workers may raise safety concerns without penalty, take part in the Joint Health and Safety Committee, and speak with the worker safety representative on any site with 20 or more workers.
Right to Refuse
No worker in BC has to perform work they reasonably believe is unsafe. They report it, the employer must investigate with the worker present, and WorkSafeBC can be called if unresolved. Retaliation is illegal.
Age Gates
What the law permits, by ageSource: Government of British Columbia, Employment Standards, hiring young people, opens in a new tab
Employment requires a parent/guardian consent process, and light-duty restrictions apply. A student under 16 is generally not permitted on a construction site as a worker.
The minimum age for construction sites and other hazardous industries in BC. Most Youth WORK in Trades sponsorships begin at 16 for this reason.
Required for the highest-risk work, including asbestos abatement, most confined-space entry, forestry operations, and operating certain powered equipment.
Hazardous-work restrictions apply regardless of consent. A parent cannot waive a prohibition, and an employer cannot rely on a signature to permit restricted work.
Red Flags
Site culture warning signs
- Your child cannot name their supervisor after the first week.
- "We'll do the orientation later" and no orientation record exists.
- PPE is borrowed, damaged, or the student was told to supply their own without reimbursement.
- Minor injuries are joked about rather than reported and recorded.
- The student is asked to work alone on a task they have not been trained for.
- Hazing, initiation rituals or sexualised "jokes" are described as normal.
- Pressure to work faster is framed as a test of toughness.
- The student hesitates to ask questions because of how someone treated the last one.
- Overtime creeps up during exam periods with no discussion.
- The employer discourages contact between the parent and the school coordinator.
Two or more of these in the same placement is worth a call to the district coordinator. You can report serious or ongoing hazards straight to WorkSafeBC.
Where this comes from
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. Rules and dollar amounts change, so check the original before you act on it.
- OHS Regulation Part 3.22 to 3.25, young and new worker orientation (opens in a new tab)
WorkSafeBC
Documented orientation and training before a young or new worker starts.
- Your rights and responsibilities as a worker (opens in a new tab)
WorkSafeBC
Right to know, right to participate, right to refuse unsafe work.
- OHS Regulation 3.12, refusal of unsafe work (opens in a new tab)
WorkSafeBC
Procedure for refusing unsafe work and the prohibition on reprisal.
- Employment Standards, hiring young people (opens in a new tab)
Government of British Columbia
Age rules, including 16 as the general minimum for construction work.
Keep going
Where to look next
Trades terms, in plain language
A simple glossary of the jargon parents hear from schools, unions and employers.
OpenEveryone belongs on that site
Mentorship, properly fitted PPE and workplace protection.
OpenThe stuff nobody tells you
Registration, double credit and when to buy tools.
OpenFind the person who runs this in your district
The coordinator controls the college seat. Start with one meeting.
Open