Companies 'legally obliged to protect safety of younger workers'

Firms in the UK have a legal obligation to protect the safety of young employees, an insurer has pointed out.

Aviva issued a reminder to businesses, saying that it received many claims made by companies last year as a result of accidents involving such workers.

Liability risk manager at the firm Phil Grace commented: "Assessments to determine the risks associated with any young worker are required by law under the Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997."

According to the expert, younger staff members can lack maturity and experience, putting them in greater danger at work.

In addition, they often have a lower perception of risk compared with their older counterparts.

Firms need to be particularly vigilant in relation to working environments that involve machinery, Mr Grace went on to say.

Last month, the Health and Safety Executive released figures which revealed that Britain saw a total of 180 workers lose their lives in 2008-09, which was a fall from the 233 recorded the previous year.
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20/07/2009 14:59

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