Downloads
New to Work?
There are various reasons why young people can be at greater risk of harm in the workplace. Understanding these reasons and following the advice provided in these infosheets will go a long way to reduce these risks and ensure that young people enjoy their work and stay safe.
A hazard is anything that might hurt you, either physically or mentally. Some are obvious like a speeding car. Others, like a bully, are less obvious. We face hazards all the time in life and workplace is no different.
You've just started work or are new to a job. You have a lot of things to think about: tasks to remember, new people to meet, new equipment to work out and a new workplace to get to know.
If you're just starting work, you won't know much about how to do the job safely or what might hurt you. You will need information from your employer.
Volunteers
The British Safety Council is supporting the #iwill campaign that aims to make social action part of life for as many 10 to 20 year-olds as possible by the year 2020. These downloads are to give you reassurance, as you help youth social action, that health and safety is not something to fear.
You have legal responsibilities to the young people you are helping into social action. This document helps you understand what these are and shows that it is not burdensome or scary.
What any organisation or group activity looks like with ‘good health and safety’ is pretty easy to describe: people planning, doing or making decisions with risk in mind.
This document sets out principles to help you to assess risks. It will help you, help young people and help communities.
Discussion is an important step to familiarise young people with the tasks involved and, if necessary, highlight the main risks. It is important to make the information engaging and memorable.
There are specific factors that anyone responsible for the care of young people should be aware of. Understanding these will help you assess and control risks.
Employers
There are certain factors to bear in mind when working with young people. The following downloads contain useful information to help you take these factors into account. Most of it is obvious and should be a normal part of how you assess and control risks at your workplace.
Everyone is different, and that applies to young people. Some will be shy, others are confident or over-confident, there is no one rule for all.
There is evidence to explain why employers need to think about the health and safety of young people engaged in their workplace.
When employing a young person under the age of 18, whether for work, apprenticeships or work experience, employers have the same responsibilities for their health, safety and welfare as they do for other workers.
Young people are likely to need more supervision than adults. Good supervision will help an employer get a clear idea of the young person’s capabilities and progress in the job and monitor the effectiveness of their training.
Communication can be critical in maintaining health and safety. This can be in the form of safety information, communications between team members or between different teams during operations or maintenance work, and emergencies.
