Health & Safety News Brief
Occupational Health & Safety Information Service

Preparing for the teenage invasion

Summer holidays are upon us, which means that teenagers all over the UK will be seizing the chance to make some money during the break from school.

This also means that employers need to be ready for the extra attention these new recruits will need. So, what can health and safety practitioners do to keep eager teens safe at work this summer?

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has launched a new free online resource that can help. Wiseup2work has a host of interactive exercises and easy-to-use guidance for practitioners looking for some extra help.

A good starting point is to audit your current arrangements for managing risks to young workers. Consider:

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  Do risk assessments take account of the needs of young people?
• Do your managers have robust systems for supervising young adults and monitoring their behaviour and health and safety learning?
• Is the induction and training programme for young people engaging them?
• Can they learn from role models who demonstrate good safety behaviour?

“Employers need to take better care of the young people who work for them,” IOSH president Neil Budworth says. “They’re more than just an extra pair of hands during a busy trading time, and they need close supervision.”

Click on www.wiseup2work.co.uk to see how you can keep young people safe in your workplace this summer.