Celebrating International Youth Day

The United Nations’ (UN) International Youth Day is celebrated on August 12 every year to recognise efforts of the world’s youth in enhancing global society.

Young people can bring new ideas, a fresh perspective, energy and enthusiasm to your business.  However, they are also more likely to suffer injury or accident at work than their older, more experienced colleagues.  There are a number of reasons for this, including:

• lack of experience or maturity
• being unaware of how to raise concerns
• lack of adequate strength due to not haven reached physical maturity
• being eager to impress or please.   

It is important that employers are aware of these factors to provide young people with a safe work environment in which to develop and add value to the business.

What are the risks faced by young people at work? 

Young people are more likely to be involved in accidents, ranging from the minor, for example, cuts and bruises to serious and even fatal ones.  Some of the risks that can have serious consequences to young people at work include:

• contact with moving machinery parts
• being struck by falling and/or moving objects including vehicles in the workplace
• injury sustained from handling, lifting or carrying heavy or awkward items
• falls from working at height e.g. from a ladder, stepladder or scaffolding
• contact with electricity or electrical discharges
• exposure to and/or contact with hazardous chemicals and substances.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have documented case studies of some accidents involving young people in the workplace which make interesting reading.   

What can employers do to protect their young workers? 

1. Assess the risks

As with all employees, employers have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their young workers by:

• Carrying out a risk assessment before they employ a young person to identify any risks that may cause harm.
• Identifying the measures they need to put in place to eliminate or control risks.
• Communicating the findings of their risk assessment including the control measures to their young workers.
• Informing parents or carers of a young person of compulsory school age or a young person undertaking a work experience placement, of the findings of the risk assessment and the measures taken to control risks.  

When considering risks to young people specifically, employers need to consider factors such as:

• the physical capacity of the young person
• the pace of work
• temperature extremes
• noise
• vibration
• radiation
• hazardous substances
• lack of training. 

2. Provide suitable training and supervision

It is very important that young people receive suitable training when they first start work or work experience placement and that they understand and implement what they have been told.

They should be properly supervised by more experienced colleagues until it is clear that they are able to work safely without close supervision.

Employing young people, or giving them the opportunity of work experience is vital to building businesses for the future.  As long as you follow these steps and provide a safe working environment, it should benefit both you and your young employees.

For an informal chat about ways we can help you improve your business performance while meeting your legal obligations, please contact us.