SafeWork NSW says Youth Week (9-17 April) is the perfect time for those employing young people to ensure they are in an environment where there is correct training, supervision and workers feel empowered to speak up with any concerns.
In NSW over half-a-million people aged 25 years and under are in the workforce. With more than 15,000 of those injured at work each year costing $60 million in workers compensation claims, it is important employers understand the human and actual cost of inaction.
“Workplace incidents can cause life changing injuries, illness and death, and are especially sad when they happen to young workers,” said Head of SafeWork NSW Trent Curtin.
All businesses, from farms to hospitality to construction sites, must ensure they are creating safe working environments. If you’re an employer, legally you must provide:
- a safe and healthy workplace.
- safe equipment, structures, and systems of work.
- adequate workplace amenities and facilities.
- information, instruction, training and supervision.
- the opportunity for workers to talk about Work Health and Safety and raise issues.
“If you employ young workers or work experience students, make sure you understand your obligations to protect them and support their health and safety at work. Young workers often lack experience, are still developing physically and mentally, can be eager to make a good impression and may be reluctant to ask questions,” Mr Curtin said.
SafeWork’s message to young workers is if you are not sure if a task is safe to do or if you don’t know how to do it safely, the most important thing is to stop and ask someone about it.
“It is important that young people feel comfortable to speak up if they have any issues; employers not taking the time to ensure their workplace is safe is not worth the risk,” Mr Curtin said.
SafeWork have developed a Young worker eToolkit for employees and workers, containing tips and training materials about work safety rights and responsibilities. There is also a YouTube video about young workers safety Five rights you have as a young worker.
