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July 24th, 2009 by Administrator

2008 saw a number of accidents involving workers under the age of 18 years being seriously injured at work due to improper use of machinery and tools. Aviva, an insurance company, highlighted two cases to bring the issue to light.

A 17 year old plasterer suffered nerve damage and lost visibility in his eyes after working on the job for just three days. He got flesh burns due to the caustic mixed in the wet plaster and ended up with some of the plaster in his eyes. In another such case, an 18 year old worker misused a roll bar while trying to lower it and instead ended up crushing his fingers with it.

In a much more severe case, a 15 year old boy named Adam Gosling lost his life in April when a wall came crashing down on him and caused fatal head injuries. The contractor in charge of the construction was convicted for manslaughter.

These terrible accidents could have been prevented, said Phil Grace, liability risk manager, Aviva’s UK Insurance business. He pointed out that with the right instructions and the right equipment, workers can avoid getting caught in such dangerous circumstances. By ensuring good risk management at the workplace, employers can not only safeguard young workers, but also others in the company. – click on IOSH Managing Safety, for info on courses to help improve your health and safety management system.

He also said that young workers are immature and anxious when it comes to working with heavy machinery and risky equipments. They cannot assess the health and safety risks involved with the job properly and that is how they end up endangering themselves, he added.

Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997 requires workers to look out for the risks involved while employing young workers, Phil Grace said. He added that adequate safety control should be present and employers should inform the guardians of the young workers about the perils at work.