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Alberta young worker safety report fails to address threat of violent crime: Union association

report that came after an inspection blitz focused on young worker safety is grim, said the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL).

The report doesn’t deal with violent crime, one of the biggest threats faced by the group, according to the AFL.

The union called the report “grim” adding that more than 70 per cent of convenience stores and restaurants in the sample of 118 work sites inspected found to be in violation of at least one section of the Occupational Health and Safety code.

The report would have been even more disturbing if it looking into the vulnerability of young people working alone on the night shift in fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations, said AFL president Gil McGowan.

“If the government was really serious about improving workplace safety and protecting young workers, they would follow B.C.’s lead and impose a ban on working alone in those industries where we know workers are easy prey for criminals,” he said. “That list includes fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations.”

The issue of attacks on night-shift workers started to be more prominent in the province 11 years ago when Subway restaurant worker Tara Macdonald was bludgeoned to death in Calgary. She was working alone at the time.

Canadian Safety Reporter, Fri Jul 8 2011