BRITAIN’S bosses may be putting teenagers’ lives at risk by breaking the law on health and safety procedures, a survey shows today.
BRITAIN’S bosses may be putting teenagers’ lives at risk by breaking the law on health and safety procedures, a survey shows today.
Four in five small businesses don’t carry out the correct health and safety procedures for workers under the age of 18, according to an independent survey commissioned by insurer Norwich Union.
And ninety percent of bosses taking part in the survey admit they take on young workers even though they don’t think the youngsters are totally ready for the world of work.
Between 1998 and 1999, 20 young people were killed and more than 20,000 suffered injuries at work in Great Britain. And the Norwich Union study highlights the employers’ confusion in helping prevent these accidents.
Norwich Union’s ‘Dying to Start Work’ study also suggests that:
- Four in five employers blame schools for ill-preparing their pupils for the workplace
- Six per cent of employers admit a youngster on work experience or doing a summer job has had an accident in their workplace and one in three of those accidents was serious or required treatment
- One in seven employers says their company doesn’t have the resources to ensure young people understand health and safety issues at work
- A fifth of employers thinks their young workers are over-confident and arrogant
- Almost all employers (99 per cent) say that they have a moral responsibility to ensure young people understand health and safety issues at work.
Now Norwich Union has joined forces with leading accident prevention charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), to try to help reduce the number of work place accidents through further awareness and education.
Norwich Union and RoSPA have created an informative new website, www.young-worker.co.uk, offering easily accessible advice on how to protect young people from accidents.
The website highlights the responsibilities youngsters, employers and work experience organisers all have to ensure safety in the workplace, and includes case studies and relevant information. Each section also has information including risk assessment forms and checklists that can be downloaded.
Teresa Budworth of Norwich Union said: "Many small business employers are not fulfilling their legal or moral responsibilities for health and safety, putting young people’s lives at risk. This may be because they feel daunted by the mass of health and safety law, or lack expertise or resources. The website aims to help such employers by setting out very clearly what they need to do."
"Youngsters have a right to feel safe, whatever job they are doing, and we must all strive to ensure they are adequately protected as they enter the world of work for the first time."
Roger Bibbings, Occupational Safety Adviser for RoSPA said: "Young people are often more at risk in the work place because of a lack of experience and trained judgement.
This makes it even more vital that young workers are given additional support and guidance – not just to ensure that they are protected from immediate dangers but to help them develop the right safety values and attitudes that will help them stay safe for the rest of their working lives.
"The young workers website, in conjunction with the work being done by the TUC and the Health and Safety Executive, will enable employers, teachers and parents to feel more confident about the safety of our youngsters in the workplace - and in the long term, reduce the number of accidents."
David Morris, Head of Management, Small Firms and Training Policy Branch, Health and Safety Executive said: "This website is a very helpful resource for young people starting their first job and for the people that employ them."
Ends
Notes to Editors:
Health and Safety Executive Statistics 1998 - 1999. Prepared by Government Statistical Services.
Norwich Union commissioned Continental Research (May 2000) to interview more than 300 owners, partners, directors and managing directors of small businesses with a turnover of between Ł50,000 and Ł1m.
CGU and Norwich Union merged on 30 May 2000 to create CGNU plc - the world’s 6th largest insurer, the UK's largest insurance group and one of the top-five life insurers in Europe with substantial positions in other markets around the world.
CGNU's principal business activities are long-term savings, general insurance and asset management with worldwide premium income and retail investment sales of Ł26 billion and assets under management of more than Ł200 billion.
From October, the combined life and pensions, general insurance and retail fund businesses in the UK will operate under the Norwich Union brand, while the institutional business will operate under the Morley Fund Management brand.