Scott Money
News Reporter

A blind worker and workplace safety advocate warned Humber students about the dangers of workplace accidents during a talk organized by the Career Centre.
“All in one second my life changed and I don’t want that to happen to anyone else,” said Ray Smith, a community outreach specialist at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
Smith lost his eyesight 20 years ago when he was working as a janitor in a factory.
A large, broken piece of wood struck him in the eyes after falling backwards while lifting a box of garbage, he said.
“All I had to do was wear my safety glasses back in 1986 and I wouldn’t be here.”
Smith is touring the province promoting safety to students and discouraging the reckless attitude of young workers.
“Young people often get injured because they have the attitude that it will never happen to them, I’m working to dispel that,” he said adding the majority of almost 80, 000 WSIB injury claims filed every year in Ontario are from young workers between 15 to 24.
Smith also said there were 39 traumatic fatalities for young workers under 25 years of age between 2004 and 2008.
Culinary arts instructor, Frank Formella, said workplace safety is an important part of all students’s training.
“Students cut and burn themselves all the time,” he said.
Dave White, advanced construction instructor, said “Unfortunately young people have an attitude of invincibility.”
“Thankfully, in the five years I’ve worked here, we have never had someone injured that required medical attention in here,” he said.
Career Centre manager, Karen Fast, said she would like to see more students attending talks like the one given by Smith.
“This is something that all students should be listening to,” Fast said.
She said she hopes to continue building a relationship between Smith and the college in an effort to promote workplace safety on campus.
“We are planning on partnering the college with Ray so that we can spread the word on worker’s safety and hopefully get Ray back here on a larger scale,” she said.