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WORKPLACE SAFETY: Kellie Renwick is still recovering from her injury

By ALEX WEBER THE LONDON FREE PRESS, July 12, 2010

Back in May, the summer was a world of opportunity for 19-year-old Kellie Renwick. She had just finished her first year of university and was excited about playing in a women's premier soccer league.

But that all changed when Renwick, like many young workers in Ontario, was injured on the job.

Renwick, a University of Western Ontario student, was hired on the spot during her May interview for a pool surfacing company. Eager to make money quickly, she started immediately.

Her job was to mix industrial-strength glue with shards of rubber so the mixture could be spread onto surfaces and make them slip-proof.

Her boss told her to wear gloves and suggested she also wear long sleeves.

She said she never received Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training, as required by law. Nor was she told about the potential danger of the chemicals she was using.

Within the first week, industrial glue splattered on her arm. Her boss told her to remove it with dibasic ester, a glue solvent, because soap and water would not be enough.

Renwick said she had seen her co-workers use the solvent and thought it would be harmless, so she poured some onto a rag and wiped away the spots of glue.

Two weeks later she realized that was a mistake.

"Two weeks after I started working there I noticed a rash appearing on my arms and legs," said Renwick.

Because of the rash, Renwick had to stop work and her doctor placed her on a prescription steroid called prednisone.

But the rash, which caused Renwick to itch and burn constantly, began to spread all over her body and her skin began to swell. After a visit to the hospital and a specialist, doctors confirmed that Renwick had a severe allergic reaction.

"It was so painful," Renwick said.

According to the Workplace Safety Insurance Board of Ontario, more than 40 young workers are injured or killed on the job each day and many of the accidents are preventable.

Roy Ford from the Ontario Ministry of Labour said the Occupational Health and Safety Act states all employers have an obligation to conduct WHMIS and specific workplace training.

Ford said this summer the Ministry of Labour is organizing a blitz and is sending inspectors out into popular job sites for youth to make sure employers are following regulations.

He said that in Renwick's case she should have been warned about the glue and the glue solvent's potential danger.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act further states that Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) must be present at all work sites, so employees can read about how to handle chemicals properly.

When Renwick went back to her work to look at the glue solvent's MSDS her boss said he didn't have one. She had to go through the company's head office in order to get the information.

The product was highly corrosive and never should have touched her skin, she learned.

The prednisone she was taking to bring down her rash caused her to develop exercise-induced asthma, which made life difficult for the avid jogger and soccer player.

Renwick said because of prednisone's side effects -- it can cause depression, high blood pressure, glaucoma and severe swelling -- her doctor took her off the drug, and although the rash has slowly gotten better, her doctor said it could be years before it completely fades away.

Renwick said she wished she knew the risks involved before she started working at her job and hopes other students take workplace safety seriously.

"Health is the first priority," she said. "Don't start a job just because you'll make good money, you could seriously be at risk . . . It's dangerous for students."