Factsheets 62 - Young worker safety – advice for supervisors
According to European statistics, the work injury rate for young people aged 18-24 years is 50% higher than for any other age group of workers. Lack of adequate supervision contributes to this high accident count. Young people at work will be unfamiliar with their jobs, their surroundings and the risks associated with them. Inexperience will mean that they are unlikely to recognise risks or pay sufficient attention to them. There are also some specific restrictions on the work of under 18s. Therefore, in addition to training, young people are likely to need more supervision than adults. This includes students on work experience or training placements and new recruits.
:
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
:
15.05.2007
Young workers (15–24 years) are a very vulnerable group when it comes to occupational safety and health (OSH). However, the majority of OSH risks are preventable — whether they involve young or older workers — by applying the principles of risk assessment and putting in place the necessary preventive measures. To support information exchange on best practice, the agency has produced a report about how the occupational safety and health of young workers can be managed at policy and practice level. The report includes a variety of case studies and also identifies some success factors for prevention.
To underpin occupational safety and health (OSH) education in schools and colleges it is necessary to formalise it in curriculum requirements. This report reviews how the Member States are including OSH and risk education in their national curricula. The report shows that there is considerable progress and activity in this respect at both primary and secondary education levels in terms of both implemented and planned actions in the Member States. The report also identifies some success factors for mainstreaming OSH into education curricula.
Young people are more at risk of harm from work for a variety of
reasons. They lack experience and maturity, awareness of risks,
and skills and training; they may be unaware of their rights and
employers’ duties regarding health and safety; and they may be
reluctant to speak out about problems and keen to please their
new employer. They therefore need to be placed in safe and
suitable jobs that are matched to their skills and mental and
physical abilities and given adequate training and supervision.
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