As men and women hold different jobs, have different social roles and different power influence in societal strata, they are exposed to different physical and psychosocial hazards at work. Adolescents with lower levels of education who start working are particularly vulnerable to sex/gender segregation of tasks and exposure to different work hazards.

In Quebec, adolescents who have experienced significant academic delays are referred to the Work-Oriented Training Program (WOTP). In this program, they learn semi-skilled trades by doing practicums, through Co-operative Education. These placements involve many occupational health and safety risks. For example, students may be exposed to various toxic substances in cleaning jobs, to wood or metal dust in processing plants or garages, to allergens in pet care businesses, hair salons, or child care centers. As jobs are segregated by gender, prevention approaches must take this into account. Occupational health and safety (OHS) risk factors may differ by sex and/or gender (e.g. when a small girl uses tools designed for tall men; or when manual handling training only considers ‘boxes’ as potential loads rather than a variety of situations, such as angry children or objects). Accordingly, occupational safety and health programs and prevention strategies should consider sex and gender-related factors. Our team is developing educational tools and resources to help these students improve and maintain their health as they enter the workforce, through an equity perspective. This presentation will discuss the differentiated hazards faced by low-educated male and female adolescents, as well as promising prevention avenues, including specific consideration for ‘invisible risks’ often encountered by young women. The WOTP examples that will be given can be applicable to other contexts of vocational training and work integration in low-skilled jobs for young workers.