Lack of training costing young lives at work

Thousands more have to take at least three days off sick after being hurt or injured in the workplace, according to the study by the TUC.

The union organisation said accidents, such as falling from a roof or scaffolding, being struck by falling equipment or suffering from serious burns, could be avoided by stricter health and safety measures.

Lack of training among under 25-year-olds in the UK had led to a higher accident rate among the age group, compared to other European countries, the report claimed.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Summer jobs are a great way for young people to gain some extra cash and important work and life experience, but they are not worth dying for.

"No young person should die or be seriously injured this summer because their employer failed to take simple steps to ensure their safety. And no young person's first job should be their last."

Developing 'life skills'

Rory O'Neill, editor of Hazards magazine, which conducted the study, said: "Every 40 minutes of every working day, seven days a week, a preventable workplace accident maims or kills a young worker.

"This is the wholly predictable consequence of placing a novice in what is a frequently hostile and often hazardous workplace environment without the necessary training and supervision."

John Phillips, training and consultancy manager for Norwich Union Risk Services, commented: "The key to ensuring the safety of young workers is to ensure that risk assessment and good supervision are in evidence.

"Supervisors have far more experience, and they can have a positive influence on the young workers by sharing their knowledge of workplace hazards and risk.

He added: "Young workers can learn much from working together with their supervisors to complete risk assessments, and a good supervisor will benefit from being encouraged to mentor young workers in this way. Risk Assessment will then be a 'life skill' that the young worker will be able to develop and , in turn, share with others as their experiences grow and careers evolve."

Further protections

The Hazards report offers information on young workers and the law, highlighting that whilst all employees have the legal right to a safe and healthy workplace, employees under 18 have further protections.

For example, employers must conduct a risk assessment before hiring a young worker to determine any risks to their health and whether they are suited to the work. It must take into account their lack of workplace experience.

Workers aged 16 - 17 must have 12 consecutive hours of rest in a 24 hour period, and a rest of no less than 48 hours in every 7 day period. Under 18s are also unable to opt-out of the 48 hour maximum working week.

Young workers are usually prevented from working nights (10pm - 7am), although there are several exemptions such as healthcare, agriculture, retail, hospitality, bakeries or postal and newspaper deliveries, where they can work up to midnight or from 4am.

The full report - 'Too young to die' - which includes a case study dossier of the preventable work deaths of ten young people and five serious injuries, can be viewed on the Hazards website - see link above/right.