These seasonal types of jobs (whether paid or placement) may be a younger person’s first experience of the working environment and, by law, an employer must ensure that young people are not exposed to risk due to a lack of experience, being unaware of existing or potential risks and/or a lack of maturity.
In the UK a young person is anyone under 18 and a child is anyone who has yet to reach the minimum school leaving age. Pupils reach the minimum school leaving age in the school year in which they turn 16, and are now required to follow some kind of further education until the age of 18.
Employers must always consider whether the work:
🟨 Is beyond a person’s physical or psychological capacity.
🟧 Involves harmful exposure to substances that are toxic, can cause cancer, can damage or harm an unborn child or can chronically affect human health in any other way, including harmful exposure to radiation.
🟦 Involves risks of accidents that cannot reasonably be recognised or avoided by young people due to their insufficient attention to safety or lack of experience/training.
A child must never carry out such work involving these risks, whether they are permanently employed or on work experience. However, a young person who is not a child can carry out duties involving these risks if the work is necessary for their training, they are properly supervised by a competent person, and the risks are reduced to the lowest level so far as is reasonably practicable.
👉 Remember, when carrying out a risk assessment for young people the risks will possibly be different to the main work force who will have worked for some years and in a particular industry or type of work.
Are you fully covered?
Providing that you have employers’ liability insurance, a young person carrying out the same work as other members of your work force is covered in the same way - but if you have queries check with your insurance company.
If you are interested in employing a young person or having a young person on a work experience placement but you are not sure, give us a call – we can help!
abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk