Industrial workplace accidents may be reduced if mine and forestry workers upgrade their ability to read and write, according to a Thunder Bay literacy organization. Literacy Northwest's annual conference and training seminar scheduled for next May in Thunder Bay will focus on how employers can help workers get the necessary literacy training. Some northern economies reliant on natural resources have high illiteracy rates in the workforce because, in the past, it was not necessary to have high education levels to secure a mine and mill job. But evidence compiled by the literacy group suggests some industrial accidents occur due to an inability to read or comprehend safety instructions.
