Introduction Adolescents with learning disabilities are vulnerable in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS). The Quebec Work-Oriented Training Path (WOTP) prepares them for the job market by offering pre-employment internships. Those are often typically feminine or masculine, and attract students according to their gender stereotypes. This segregation implies different OHS risks for women or men, who have chosen different environments. Considering this complex context, a research team is developing digital tools to improve the OHS management in the WOTP.

Objectives The first step is to identify what students currently understand about OHS, the risks present in their internships, and how gender influence these elements.

Methods A short answer questionnaire addressing these topics was completed by 131 WOTP students (38 girls and 93 boys).

Results The three most popular work environments were garages (tire installer, 17 boys), retail stores (stock handler, 21 boys, 9 girls) and restaurants (fast-food counter attendant and cook’s helper, 17 boys, 6 girls). More than 40% of the girls are in typically female occupations: hair salon assistant (7), assistant childcare educator (5), grooming assistant (3) and recreation assistant (1). When asked if they perceived risks in their internships, 50% of girls and 80% of boys say yes. All girls say they consider OHS important or very important, while 13% of boys are indifferent or consider it not very important. Concerning the OHS training received at the workplace, 38% of the girls and 50% of the boys stated that they had received some.

Conclusion These preliminary results suggest that girls and boys are not exposed to the same environments nor the same risks. The situation seems inequitable in terms of prevention and suboptimal for all, since a large proportion reported not having an OHS training. These shortcomings should be considered in the development of new tools.