Help us to improve the website - give your feedback.

1. Overview

When you employ young people under the age of 18, you have the same responsibilities for their health, safety and welfare as you do for other workers. This applies whether they are:

  • a worker
  • on work experience
  • an apprentice

Risks to young people

Young people are likely to be new to the workplace and so are at more risk of injury in the first six months of a job, as they may be less aware of risks. They will often be vulnerable, as they may:

  • lack experience or maturity
  • not have reached physical maturity and lack strength
  • be eager to impress or please people they work with
  • be unaware of how to raise concerns

Training and supervision

Young people need clear and sufficient instruction, training and supervision so they understand the importance of health and safety and can work without putting themselves and other people at risk. They may need more supervision than adults.

Work experience

Work experience and work-based learning will be the first time most young people experience the work environment.

Good preparation and organisation of placements is essential if these opportunities are to be helpful and safe introductions to work.

Health and safety representatives

If your workplace has health and safety representatives, they can play a valuable role early on by:

Link URLs in this page

  1. Risks to young people at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/risks.htm
  2. Training and supervisionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/training.htm
  3. Work experiencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/work-experience.htm
  4. Apprenticeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/apprentices.htm
  5. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/law.htm
  6. Introducing the young person to the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/risks.htm
  7. Helping with their ongoing traininghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/training.htm
  8. Advice for parents and carershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/parents-carers.htm
  9. Schools and collegeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/schools-colleges.htm
  10. Work experience organisershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/organisers.htm
  11. New to the jobhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vulnerable-workers/new-to-the-job.htm
  12. Next page Risks to young people at work https://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/risks.htm
  13. View a printable version of the whole guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/employer/print.htm
  14. Advice for young people at work and their parents and carershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/young-workers/index.htm#guidance
  15. Health and safety for gig economy, agency and temporary workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/vulnerable-workers/gig-agency-temporary-workers/employer/index.htm
  16. Managing risks and risk assessment at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm
  17. 16 to 19 study programmes: guide for providers - GOV.UKhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-study-programmes-guide-for-providers
  18. Become an apprentice – GOV.UKhttps://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
  19. School leaving age - GOV.UKhttps://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

Is this page useful?

Updated 2024-11-01