Parents

What you can do to help keep your child safe at work.

Young people are more likely than their older colleagues to get hurt in the workplace. It could happen to your son or daughter, even on their first day at work.

By law, employers are responsible for protecting young workers. But your child also needs to be aware of health and safety issues when they enter the world of work, if they want to stay safe.

Supporting your child

There are a number of things you can do to help your child stay safe when they start work.

Check that your child knows their rights in the workplace:

• to know about health and safety
• to participate in discussions on health and safety issues, and report any problems
• to refuse to do unsafe work.

Check that your child knows their responsibilities:

• to work safely
• to report hazards
• to use the safety equipment and follow the training they have been given.

Find out:

• what tasks your child is asked to carry out
• what training and supervision they receive
• what health and safety measures are in place to protect them.

Talk:

• to your child, about workplace risks and risk prevention
• to their employer, about health and safety arrangements, training and supervision
• to other parents about health and safety.

Encourage your child’s school or college:

• to integrate health and safety teaching into the curriculum.

Where you can get help