91视频

When Portland-based Electrical Construction Co. studied its workplace accident data in November 2013, a disturbing trend emerged. Roughly 45 percent of the accidents involved apprentice workers or materials handlers, who comprised only 20 percent of the company’s workforce.

Meanwhile, data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows that workers ages 24 and younger are twice as likely as older workers to suffer on-the-job accidents. Construction firms, responsible for ensuring their employees’ safety on job sites, are struggling to find ways to keep their youngest and most inexperienced workers safe.

鈥淭hey’re thrilled to have a job, they’re eager to please and they have less life experience,鈥� said Dede Montgomery, chairwoman of the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition, a Tualatin-based nonprofit that advocates for workers’ safety and health. 鈥淚f they don’t get safety training, we could have some problems.鈥�

Young workers also often are afraid to ask questions and switch jobs more frequently, Montgomery said. Those factors can increase the risk of an accident.

EC Co. is facing the issue head-on. Its findings spurred action, said Mark Hopkins, the firm’s environmental, health and safety manager.

鈥淲e had a higher percentage of injury to apprentices and young materials handlers to the rest of the workforce,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s a result, we decided to focus in on those guys.鈥�

EC Co. created its Apprentice Awareness Program last year. Older, experienced journeyman electricians give direct instructions to mostly younger apprentices and materials handlers who basically do as they’re told, said Mark Hopkins, environmental, health and safety manager for EC Co.

A struggle, however, has resulted from differences between young apprentices who prefer experiential lessons and journeyman workers who teach in the same top-down style they were taught.

鈥淜ids don’t want to be taught that way,鈥� Hopkins said. 鈥淭hey don’t want to hear it. They want to experience something on their own. The problem is that every one of those failures is an injury.鈥�

Andersen Construction also partners younger workers with older, more experienced ones; however, not every contractor can do that, said Kim Gamble, Andersen’s safety and health director.

鈥淭here are so many hazards and changing conditions,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can’t train them on everything before they show up.鈥�

While younger workers typically do not operate heavy equipment, they are surrounded by it, creating many safety hazards, Gamble said.

鈥淭hey’re out there standing next to a construction crane and working on ladders and they know very little about it,鈥� she said.

The company ensures that every new hire goes through orientation on its sites, and requires every subcontractor every Monday morning to form a weekly plan that outlines main steps, hazards that will be faced, and how workers will protect themselves and each other, Gamble said. The meetings help orient younger workers and those returning from long absences, she said.

Despite those efforts, Andersen recently suffered a pair of accidents resulting in minor injuries. In both cases, workers were returning to a job site after a long absence, Gamble said.

鈥淚t’s always a battle to get all the subcontractors to buy into that process,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut once we do, we are increasing our safety and productivity.鈥�

The key for contractors, Montgomery said, is to create a forum that gives young workers the ability to ask questions and speak up when concerns about a job site arise. That could mean one-on-one discussions with the site foreman or an experienced co-worker on-site, or regular safety meetings. The process needs to be give-and-take, open to questions and part of the workplace culture, she said.

鈥淓very workplace is going to be a little bit different about how they are set up,鈥� she said.

Improving safety is critical for EC Co., Hopkins said. The firm is still looking to bridge the gap between older and younger workers, and improve communication.

鈥淲e’re still trying to find that right connection,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is a real generational difference.鈥�

EC Co., since implementing its Apprentice Awareness Program about nine months ago, has seen the number of incidents suffered by targeted groups occur at roughly the same rate. However, Hopkins said the company is doubling down to lower the number of workplace accidents.

Electronic outreach

The has used technology to create resources able to help improve safety for all workers 鈥� younger ones in particular, Oregon OSHA spokeswoman Melanie Mesaros said. Several different mobile applications, podcasts and slideshows generally are more accessible to a younger audience, she said.

show how to use a portable ladder and lift safely. Another app, due for launch in September, will calculate a safe falling distance when using a shock-absorbing lanyard.

The agency also has employed a college student, Austin Coburn, to produce a series of .

鈥淭he video series that we created was definitely intended to reach a young worker audience,鈥� Mesaros said. 鈥淲e know it’s important to stay current, so we have been developing apps and other tools in the field.鈥�