Occupational health and safety for young workers

Most workers will encounter health and safety hazards during their working lives. However, young workers are particularly vulnerable to occupational health and safety (H&S) hazards in the workplace as they often lack experience, training and awareness of H&S risks. Many young workers are also employed in fixed term, precarious and/or informal work arrangements, which increase their exposure to H&S hazards.

The following document identifies the heightened H&S risks young workers face in the workplace and provides recommendations on how young workers, through their unions, can best address these risks within a framework that holds the employer responsible for ensuring a safe working environment.