Most young people cannot wait to get their first job, be it a paper round, shop work, working in the hairdressers or dog walking, but some young people may be unaware of the hazards the workplace may hold.

In 2003/4 12 workers aged 26-24 were killed at work and 4,389 suffered major injuries.

Across Europe, 18 to 24-year-olds are at least 50% more likely to be injured in the workplace than more experienced workers. Behind the statistics are harrowing stories, of young people having to live with the consequences of accidents and damaged health for the rest of their lives, or dying when they had so much of their lives ahead of them.

One young person is killed every month in a workplace accident and thousands more are injured, according to a new study by the Trade Union Congress (TUC). You can read the article and find out more at the TUC website 2young2die.

What are Braintree District Council doing to tackle the problem?

In Braintree District, Health & Safety Officers employed by the Council visit workplaces to pass on advice about health & safety law and visit to check compliance. The welfare of young people is always on the agenda where applicable. The Officers liaise with the Education Welfare Officer employed by Essex Council and pass on details of young people working in the District.

The Education Welfare Officer enforces Child Employment Law. They check that young people aged between 13-16 do not carry out work activities they are not permitted to do and checks that the young persons school work is not adversely affected by their job.

Information about child employment is available on Essex County Council's child employment page.

The hazards young people may face at work

Some young people may be at risk because their employers fail to take account of their lack of workplace experience. They may be at particular risk because of:

their lack of awareness

be unfamiliar with their surroundings

be physically or psychologically less suited to certain tasks

their lack of skills and training

Every employer must carry out a risk assessment for the young person and the tasks they carry out as part of their work activity. You can download a guide to risk assessment here

Newspaper deliveries

Many young people start work by delivering daily or weekly newspapers.  There are many hazards associated with this not least the weight of some of the papers.

To assist employers and newspaper delivery staff we have produced some helpful guidance specifically for this type of work.

- Guide to compliance

- Delivery Staff safety

- Deliverys cycle check list

- Risk assessment template

 

Contact the team

For more information on health & safety contact the Health & Safety Team:

Phone: (01376) 552525 x 2211
E-mail: healthandsafety@braintree.gov.uk