Every year in Cambodia, many young workers are injured or die in workplace incidents.
Incidents that could of been avoided if employers had adhered to some basic safety principles that ensure young workers are protected from injury at their workplace.
Young workers are between the ages of 15 & 24 years and are often hired as apprentices, trainees, part-time or casual workers. Young workers are considered to be a very vulnerable group of employees, with injury rates out of proportion with other worker age groups.
Historically, investigations into workplace incidents have shown that young workers who were injured or killed in the workplace had received no training, received training that was low standard or was delivered by trainers who weren’t qualified and experienced. In many cases, young workers were not supervised by experienced workers and it was a common problem that young workers did not understand their rights & responsibilities at their workplace.
There a 4 industries that are particularly high-risk for young workers:
Construction
Manufacturing
Hospitality
Retail
It’s extremely important that employers provide and maintain a working environment for their employees that is safe and free of risks to health, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Here are some points for employers to consider that will make the workplace safer for their young workers and ensure that no-one gets injured or killed.
Consider your young workers’ age and experience as a risk factor when identifying hazards and risks in your workplace.
Create company policy that mandates young workers receive a thorough induction when starting their employment, ensuring that they understand the health and safety requirements of the workplace they are going to work in.
Provide young workers the necessary information, instruction and training to be able to do their work safely.
Ensure young workers are always properly supervised particularly when the workplace is considered high risk.
Encourage young workers to speak up. Listen to and act on their health and safety concerns.
Promote a culture of safety at your workplace.
It takes a single moment for a tragedy to happen. Not only could someone lose their life but you as an employer could be prosecuted, your personal and company reputation could be destroyed and you could be held financially accountable.
For information about how you can make your workplace safer for your young workers, please contact SMCS RISK.