Manitoba NAOSH Week

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, MAY 1, 2015 winnipegfreepress.com Y oung people are especially vulnerable when it comes to safety in the workplace. They lack experience, and they're eager to please, which may make them reluctant to speak up about potential hazards and safety concerns. According to SAFE Workers of Tomorrow (SWOT), young workers are affected by more than 15% of all workplace injuries in Manitoba, and they're most likely to be injured during their first year on the job. The non-profit organization is working to give youth the tools they need to stay safe. Speakers deliver about 1,200 free presentations dealing with workers' rights and safety each year, and most presentations are directed at high school students. Since 1997, SWOT has reached more than 161,900 students throughout Manitoba. Presentations deal with topics such as: How to recognize workplace hazards; the dangers associated with working with chemicals, workers' and employers' safety rights and responsibilities; using protective gear and actions workers should take if they spot a hazard or are injured on the job. Most first jobs for young people are in the service industry, but they're employed in a wide variety of potentially dan- gerous workplaces. Parents, teachers and young workers can access safety handbooks and other resources, along with information about arranging a presentation at your school or commun- ity club, at the SWOT website. Visit www.workersoftomorrow.com. SAFe Workers of Tomorrow Steps for Life Walking for families of workplace tragedy T ami Helgeson will never forget the phone call that changed her life forever. It happened on Aug. 19, 1999. "It was my son's boss. He said there had been an accident and that Eric had been really hurt. Then the cell phone went dead," Helgeson recalls. She was in shock. Her eldest child, Eric, 20, had recently moved to Winnipeg and worked in construction. She was planning to see him the next day, when the entire family would drive the five hours from Balmertown to Winnipeg for her brother's wedding. Helgeson was in the middle of making these happy plans when everything was thrown into chaos. "My first thought was that I had to get a hold of the other kids and my husband — we had to get to Winnipeg ASAP. I was still trying to arrange everything when I got a call from the hospital," she says. "I don't remember much after that because I collapsed, but I knew then that nothing was ever going to be the same. It was like someone had reached into my chest and ripped my heart right out." Eric was working on the second floor of a steel-frame build- ing, bolting two beams together, when a crane lost control and flipped, bringing the structure down on top of him. The crane boom struck Eric, killing him instantly. "It's the worst thing that's ever happened or could ever happen to a parent. You can never be the same person again," Helgeson says. "You have to find a way to move on, but you're a completely different human being." After the tragedy, the Helgesons felt lost. Due to possible legal ramifications, Eric's employer wasn't allowed to dis- cuss the accident with the family, and neither was the sub- contractor responsible for the crane operator. The family only learned the truth about Eric's death two years later, after the Crown filed charges and the crane operator was fined $10,000. "It's horrible that no one thought the parents had a right to know these things," Helgeson says. "We can't change the way things were, but we can change the way things will be." Helgeson has been an active member of Threads of Life since her son's death. Threads of Life is a national charity that provides support services to Canadians affected by a workplace tragedy, life-altering injury or occupational dis- ease. "Threads of Life was started by a bunch of parents who had lost their children. This group is a support system for anyone who's had someone they love go to work and not come home," Helgeson says. "I felt like these people under- stood me — for the first time since Eric died, I felt safe. I thought maybe I could take this horrible event and turn it into something Eric would be proud of." Threads of Life was the first organization in the world to offer a peer-support program to family members living with the aftermath of a workplace tragedy. Peer support is provided by trained volunteers who have also lost family members. Helgeson helps other families, offering them comfort via telephone conversations and emails. She also speaks of her experience at schools and at a variety of events. "Way too many people are being hurt at work. You don't think it can happen to you, but it can," Helgeson says. "I've had so many kids come up to me and say 'I'll never forget what you said,' after I've given a talk at a school. If I end up saving one, it's worth telling my story." This year, she is the family spokesperson for the charity's annual fundraiser, the Steps for Life Walk, in which thou- sands of people walk five kilometres to honour and sup- port the victims of workplace tragedy and their families. Steps for Life is also a fundraiser for Threads of Life. It costs $15 to register for the walk, and participants can raise addi- tional funds by collecting pledges. All walkers can be spon- sored online through the Steps for Life website. There are 36 Steps for Life walks across the country, and each one has a Memorial Lane with stories and photos that recognize the lives that were lost. In Winnipeg, the walk takes place on Sunday, May 3 at Kil- donan Park. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the walk be- ing at about 11 a.m. To become involved or to find more information, visit the Steps for Life website at www.stepsforlife.ca. By Holli Moncrieff For the Free Press Last year, walkers were once again out in force at Kildonan Park to support families and raise funds for Threads of Life. Photos courtesy of Threads of Life ProudtoStand withWorkers forSafe Workplaces Ron Lemieux MLAforDawsonTrail 204-878-4644 Ron-Lemieux.ca Dave Chomiak MLAforKildonan 204-334-5060 DaveChomiak.ca Deanne Crothers MLAforSt.James 204-415-0883 DeanneCrothers.ca Greg Selinger MLAforSt.Boniface PremierofManitoba 204-237-9247 GregSelinger.ca Sharon Blady MLAforKirkfieldPark 204-832-2318 SharonBlady.ca Erna Braun MLAforRossmere 204-667-7244 ErnaBraun.ca Nancy Allan MLAforSt.Vital 204-237-8771 NancyAllan.ca

• Cover