Trying to convince a group of young people that they are not invincible is a tall order.
But that’s the challenge Nick Perry takes on with passion when he visits high schools through a WorkSafeBC-sponsored program. On Friday Perry met with GISS students in grades 10-12 enrolled in the intensive Trades Awareness, Skills and Knowledge (TASK) program.
The aim is to impress upon the students that they should not do anything on a job site that seems unsafe. “Listen to your gut” is the new WorkSafeBC mantra that tries to give young workers the confidence to ask questions when they are unsure about a safety issue in the workplace.
Perry described how getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of one’s stomach is a sign to speak up.
“It’s that feeling like, ‘Man, this just doesn’t fit right with me and I don’t know what to do.’ You’ve got to ask questions. You’ve got to get the right people involved. You need to talk to your coworkers and you’ve got to talk to your employer. You’ve got to talk to whoever is going to listen to you.”
Perry knows what he’s talking about as the survivor of a serious workplace accident in 2001.
For more on this story, see the Feb.14, 2018 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.