Why are young people more likely to be injured at work?
Young people in work, on work experience placements or undertaking an apprenticeship or internship can be more at risk of injury in the first six months of employment, as they may be less aware of workplace risks due to:
- lack of experience and training
- lack of physical maturity in laborious roles
- not understanding processes and procedures or how to express concerns
- being eager to impress management or being under pressure to perform well
- working in higher risk environments3
Your responsibilities as an employer
In Ireland, current law requires employers to, as far as reasonably practicable, ensure the health and safety of all the people in their organisation. This includes consideration for young people which may differ from the usual health and safety requirements for adults.
Young people and children have different employment rights to adults, affecting the number of hours they are legally allowed to work. This information can be found on the Citizens Information website.4
In Ireland, children under the age of 14 are generally prohibited from employment. Those aged 14 or 15 may only work under strict conditions, such as doing light work during school holidays or participating in an approved work experience or educational programme.5
Children who have not reached the statutory school-leaving age (16 or completion of three years of post-primary education, whichever is later) are restricted from working in certain high-risk environments, including industrial settings such as factories and construction sites. It is also recommended that age limits be applied to the operation of potentially hazardous machinery, such as forklift trucks and woodworking equipment, in line with health and safety regulations.6
Therefore, as an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that young people within your organisation are:
- trained appropriately for their duties, especially when operating machinery
- understanding of the importance of health and safety and are able to work without putting themselves and others at risk
- understanding of specific hazards and risks in the workplace
- supervised where necessary, which may be more than adults
- able to recognise and raise concerns to the appropriate person
Regularly checking a young person's progress when they first start in their role and beyond will help identify where any additional adjustments may be needed.
How to empower young people in health and safety
By encouraging young people to adopt a culture of health and safety in your business, you can ensure their long-lasting safety and success in the workplace. Some ideas for how your business can achieve this are as follows:
- Encouraging open communication: Highlight the importance of encouraging young workers to speak up about safety concerns without fear of reprisal.
- Providing resources: Discuss the availability of resources like safety manuals, online courses, and hotlines that young workers can access to educate themselves.
- Building confidence: Show how empowering young workers with knowledge and skills can build their confidence in handling potentially hazardous situations.
