IOSH calls for action on workplace safety

06/09/2006

Far more needs to be done to prevent young people becoming badly injured in the workplace, according to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

The IOSH indicates that accidents often occur in the first few weeks of work when new starters should be supervised and trained regularly.

Last week was national Wiseup2work Day, an initiative launched by the IOSH and sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council, which aimed to highlight how inadequate training can lead to accidents in the workplace.

Neil Budworth, president of IOSH and director general of the TUC, said: "Taking the first steps in their careers is an exciting and challenging time for our young people, but many have no experience of work or the hazards that lurk in the workplace.

"This naivety can result in accidents, injuries and even death."

"The Wiseup2work campaign aims to make young people aware of the risks they face when starting work and to get the government, business leaders, teachers and youth workers to make young people's safety a priority," he added.

According to the organisers of the Wiseup2work scheme, 1,500 people under the age of 19 are injured at work every year and a further five individuals die.