Advice for Employers : Resources
Preparing Young People For A Safer Working Life
IOSH, founded in 1945, is now Europes leading body representing safety and health professionals. Visit their website www.iosh.org.uk or contact them at : Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, The Grange, Highfield Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 1NN, UK Telephone: +44 (0)116 257 3100, Fax: +44 (0)116 257 3101
Around 25 people between 16-24 are killed at work each year, with a further 18,000 suffering injury - many serious. Thousands of others develop serious health problems associated with work.
IOSH believes much of this suffering could be prevented by educating young people as early as possible about the risks they may face during their working lives. Preparing Young People For A Safer Working Life calls for young people to be better educated about workplace hazards, believing that it is when young people enter the world of work that they are at their most vulnerable.
IOSH advice to employers who take young people into their workplace:
- Prior to young people starting work, employers must do a risk assessment as required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (management Regulations) Relating To Young Persons - and take account of their inexperience, immaturity and lack of awareness of health and safety matters.
Employers should have an induction programme for young people. A Mentor programme
- is also helpful where the young person has a named and more experienced person to turn to for help and advice.
- Employers must consider the hazards of the young person’s specific role as well as taking account of their individual capabilities.
- Frequent health and safety feedback is vital and young people must be persuaded of the value of working safely. The aim is to equip young people with the skills to protect themselves and others from harm.
Preparation for work experience:
The prime importance of a work experience placement is that:
- it is a safe place for the young people to work
- it can be completed without injury
- it is an opportunity to learn about management of occupational safety and health
Pupils need to know
- how to identify and report accidents and ill-health
- about personal protective equipment and other measures
- how to follow instructions
Those responsible for work experience placements should ensure:
- suitable health and safety management system exists in the placement organisation
- the employer has identified hazards and taken suitable precautions to reduce risks
- the work is suitable for a young person to undertake.
Preparation for work experience placements needs to be consistent, and incorporate a thorough examination of safety and health issues. Those responsible for vetting work experience placements should be required to have health and safety training.
Ultimately, young people should be able to:
- Improve their ability to avoid occupational diseases and hazards
- Understand the management of occupational safety and health and know that it is not always possible to remove all the risks immediately
- Have sufficient social skills to challenge unsafe behaviour and/or conditions.
