Keeping Young Workers Safe

Neal Stone Head of Policy and Public Affairs

British Safety Council

“Current and coming health and safety challenges”

Federation of Master Builders Conference, 13th November 2009

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Today’s presentation

* BSC’s mission and objectives

* what HSE’s 2008/09 Statistics reveal

* Current and future challenges

* Preparing young workers for the world of work

* Major policy and legislative issues facing construction SMEs

* HSE Strategy - competence, leadership and worker involvement

Keeping Young Workers Safe

British Safety Council

One of the UK’s leading health and safety organisations founded in 1957. 10,000 member companies in over 50 countries worldwide

Mission is to support a healthier, safer and more sustainable society

Takes forward this mission through a variety of commercial and charitable activities;

- Training, advisory, qualifications and audit services- Conferences, events and award schemes- Campaigning and shaping public policy - Free Entry Level qualifications for all 14-19 year old in full-time education- Free qualifications for those not in education, employment or training

Keeping Young Workers Safe

The context - present and continuing challenges :

• 180 workers killed at work –down from 228 in 2007/08

• 28,700 major injuries• 132,000 RIDDOR reportables• Agriculture, construction and transport continue to

have highest injury incident rate • 29 m working days lost – 24.6m - work-related ill-

health and 4.7m injury • 4,000 + cancer deaths due to asbestos exposure

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Current and future challenges :

* Ill-health reduction trends not improving

* Asbestos – “Hidden Killer” campaign – a major priority

* implications and impact of corporate manslaughter law

* increase/changes in health and safety penalties

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Incident rates

Over 2,600 major workplace accidents in Great Britain in 2007/08 involving young men, and 1,033 involving young women, between the ages of 16-24

23 young workers, aged 16-24, died in 2007/08 as a result of a workplace accident Under reporting of workplace injuries to young people; employers reluctant to report accidents, young workers may wish to avoid being seen as a ‘complainer’

EU sources show that the incidence rate of non-fatal accidents at work per 100,000 workers was more than 40% higher among those aged 18-24

Research indicates that young, inexperienced, workers are more than 5 times more likely to be injured during their first 4 weeks on the job

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Contributing factors

Lack of experience and training; Those workers with the least experience are more likely to injure themselves due to a lack of knowledge and competence

Physically demanding work; Young workers experience physically demanding working conditions more commonly than the average workforce. Young workers are more likely to partake in lower grade, manual tasks. Young male workers are also more likely to be allocated strenuous tasks

Irregular working arrangements; Young workers often work irregular hours. Shift work can increase the risk of workplace injury. Working at night can lead to a higher risk of accident due to the lower number of workers and supervisors

Keeping Young Workers Safe

How do we reduce the incident rate?

Educate young workers: greater investment and commitment to improve education and training both in schools and the workplace

Educate employers: to change their working practices

Enforcement: Tougher sentencing laws send out a powerful message. Health and Safety Executive must have adequate resources to fulfil its inspection duties

Focus upon construction and agriculture: concentrate upon improving conditions for young male workers in these sectors. Collaboration required between government, employers and trade unions. More research required to better understand the risks faced by young workers in these sectors

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Measures for raising young peoples’ awareness of the risk of workplace injury and ill health

School-based trainingEmployer-based trainingOther trainingPositive safety culture in the organisationPositive health and safety leadership in the organisationWorker involvement in health and safetyRaising the profile of hazards (media campaigns, HSE campaigns)

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard AwarenessRationale:

A young person is seriously injured in a UK workplace every 40 minutes

In the UK, in the last decade, 66 under-19s have been killed at work

No prior provision of accredited workplace health & safety training in schools leavers in the UK

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard AwarenessRationale:

A young person is seriously injured in a UK workplace every 40 minutes

In the UK, in the last decade, 66 under-19s have been killed at work

No prior provision of accredited workplace health & safety training in schools leavers in the UK

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard Awareness

Benefits to young workers:

Help to keep them safe on work experience or in their first job

Raise awareness of important health and safety issues

Increase confidence and self esteem

Provide a recognised, accredited qualification

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Subject content

Mapped to National Occupational Standards for Health and Safety

Includes…

Identification of hazards Safety, fire and traffic signs in the workplaceCauses of fire and preventative action Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal hygieneFirst aid provisionReporting accidents, near misses and ill healthEmployer / employee responsibilities

Keeping Young Workers Safe

A great start . . .

Launched for academic year 2007/2008

1,800 schools (35% of UK total) have participated in the programme to date

75,000 candidate entries last year

100,000+ candidates this academic year 2008/2009

Keeping Young Workers Safe

The next 10 years…

BSC has committed £5 million of its charitable reserves to fund the programme over the next ten years

The programme is not restricted to the UK. Already available to British International Schools

GAP year and volunteer schemes are delivering the qualification to schools in developing countries

BSC is keen to work with governments, educations bodies, schools and young people across the globe

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Major policy and legislative issues facing construction SMEs :

• Donaghy report into construction fatalities

• Extension of remit of Gangmasters Licensing Authority

• Raft of EU Directives in train/on the horizon

• Accreditation of health and safety practitioners

• Better regulation/conservative regulatory agenda

Keeping Young Workers Safe

HSE Strategy, “The health and safety of Great Britain : Be part of the solution”

Three top priorities :• Developing health and safety competence• Directors and senior managers taking responsibility and

providing leadership• Workforce engagement and involvement

Keeping Young Workers Safe

Neal StoneHead of Policy and Public Affairs

T: 020 8600 5585E: neal.stone@britsafe.org

British Safety Councilwww.britsafe.orgT: 020 8741 1231

Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard Awarenesswww.britsafe.org/schools