Young Persons Risk Assessment
Definition
A young person is defined as anyone who is below the age of 18.
A child is anyone who has not yet reached the official age at which they may leave school, just before or after their 16th birthday (also referred to as the minimum school leaving age (MSLA)).
Legal Framework
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR)
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Republic of Ireland)
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (Republic of Ireland)
Responsibility
Line Managers in consultation with the Manager responsible for H&S at each workplace or for the work activities are responsible for ensuring that a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk has been undertaken for young persons prior to the young person commencing employment or work placement.
The young persons Line Manager is responsible for implementing the actions identified in a timely manner, ensuring the provisions remain effective and reviewing the assessment as required. They are also responsible for informing parents/guardians of the young person of the key findings of this assessment.
Procedure
The procedure covers the assessment of risks to young persons including those on work experience. It should be completed in addition to the general risk assessment for the workplace/activities but look at special risks that are relevant to young persons.
Special consideration needs to be given to the health and safety of young persons at work.
If you areplanning to employa young personthen it is important that a risk assessment is completed before they start. Young persons may introduce additional hazards to the workplace because of:
a. their general work inexperience
b. lack of awareness of workplace hazards
c. their physical and mental immaturity
Any risk assessment carried out for a young person should take these issues into account together with workplace issues such as:
a. the layout of the workplace and the way the work is organised
b. whether the work will expose them to biological, chemical or physical hazards
c. whether the work will require them to use different types of work equipment
d. the level and type of safety training required
Control measures must reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable, be suitable for the young person and include but not be limited to adequate training and effective supervision by a competent person.
Parents/guardians of young persons must be informed of the key findings of this assessment and the control measures by the young person Line Manger.
NOTE: Under the regulations young people should not be employed to do work which:
- Is beyond their physical or psychological capacity
- Exposes them to substances chronically harmful to human health, e.g. toxic or carcinogenic, or has effects likely to be passed on genetically or likely to harm the unborn child;
- Exposes them to radiation;
- Involves a risk of accidents which they are unlikely to recognise e.g. because of their lack of experience or training or sufficient attention to safety;
- Involves a risk to their health from extreme heat, noise or vibration.
Unless the young person is between 16 and 18 and
- the work is necessary for their training;
- they are supervised by a competent person; and
- the risk will be reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
Document / Young Person Risk Assessment / Issue / 1Department / Risk Safety and Quality / Page / 1 of 4
Authority / Occupational Risk Manager / Date / December 2009
Young Persons Risk Assessment
Manager responsible for H&S: / Name(s) of young person(s):Name of young persons Line Manager: / Generic assessment1: / Yes / No* (*delete) / Location:
Brief description of work activities: / Date of initial assessment:
Review frequency2:
Assessment Criteria / Yes / No / N/A / Comments / Guidelines / Actions Required /
Psychological capacity:
Work beyond psychological capacity (mental, social and emotional) based on differences in their training, experience, skills, personality and attitudes. Does the work involve
- tasks which rely on skill, experience and understanding?
- dealing with aggressive, stressful situations? / Focus on critical tasks which rely on skill, experience and understanding of the task requirements.
Provide instruction and effective supervision.
Physical capacity including manual handling:
Young person may not by physically capable or have the strength to undertake certain activities as would an adult employee. Does the work involve
- a degree of strength or physical capability to undertake?
- lifting / lowering / carrying / pushing / pulling of loads or repetitive or forceful movements?
- awkward postures or movements or insufficient recovery time? / Take account of the physique, general health, age and experience of the young person.
Provide training and effective supervision
Eliminate or reduce as far as reasonably practicable all manual handling activities. There should be no manual handling of heavy loads.
Pace of work:
Young peoples’ muscle strength may not be fully developed, and they may be less skilled in pacing the work according to capacity. They may also be more subject to peer pressure to take on tasks that are too much for them, or to work too quickly.
- Does the young person have control over the pace of work?
- Does the work involve machine operating speeds? / Take account of the age and experience of the young person.
Provide training and effective supervision.
Extremes of Temperature:
- Is there exposure to extreme of temperature? / Introduce suitable work patterns and rates. Provide drinking water.
Provide suitable PPE.
Provide effective supervision.
Noise:
There are no unique risks to young persons. However the MHSWR prohibits work with extremes of noise3
- Is there exposure to high levels of noise? / Comply with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Provide suitable hearing protection.
Provide training and effective supervision.
Hazardous Substances including Biological Agents:
Young people are not at any greater risk from exposure to hazardous substances than anyone else. However, young people may lack awareness of the hazards and risks that they may encounter.
The MHSWR prohibits work with toxic or carcinogenic substances3.
- Is there exposure to hazardous substances?
- Do these include toxic or carcinogenic substances? / Ensure a COSHH assessment is in place for each hazardous substance and implement relevant controls.
Provide training and effective supervision when handling hazardous substances.
The MHSWR prohibits work with toxic or carcinogenic substances3.
Ionising Radiation including Cosmic Radiation:
- Is there a risk of exposure to ionising radiation e.g. X-rays or cosmic radiation? / Exposure to radiation should be kept below 1 mSv/annum.
Power Presses, Woodworking, Lifting Machinery and Lift Trucks:
Young people should not be allowed to use a power press, high-risk woodworking machinery, lifting equipment or lift truck unless they have the necessary maturity and competence and having successfully completed appropriate training and are adequately supervised. Does the work involve:
- Working with a power press?
- Working with high risk woodworking machinery?
- Working with lifting equipment?
- Using a lift truck? / Ensure young person is suitably mature, competent and has successfully completed appropriate training.
Provide effective supervision.
Children under the MSLA should never operate lift trucks.
Lone Working:
- Does the work involve working alone? / The young person should never be allowed to lone work.
Other – specify:
3 This work can not be done unless the young person is between 16 and 18 and the work is necessary for their training; they are supervised by a competent person; and the risk will be reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
1Generic Risk Assessment Deviations
If the above risk assessment has been completed generically for a workplace and/or work activities, any deviations should be captured below and re-assessed:
Assessment Criteria / Yes / No / N/A / Comments / Guidelines / Actions Required /Young Person Risk Assessment Review History
Date / Reviewers / Purpose of review2 / Findings2 Risk assessment review may be initiated by the following: Periodic (e.g. annual) review, following an accident or incident, changes in legislation, other significant change e.g. working practices, training, procedure, personnel, location, work equipment.
Document / Young Person Risk Assessment / Issue / 1Department / Risk Safety and Quality / Page / 2 of 4
Authority / Occupational Risk Manager / Date / December 2009