Work Environment Information Unit

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Young Workers Health and Safety at Work
Work Environment Information Unit Julia Flintrop
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Content

• EU-OSHA activities on young workers
• Facts and figures concerning young workers
• Special risks
• Main employment sectors
• Employment conditions
• Prevention of accidents and ill health
• Conclusions from facts and figures report
• Good praxis example

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EU-OSHA activities

• Campaign on young workers Safe start
  http//osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/ew2006
• Visual materials for awareness raising
• video competition
• E-cards
• Animated films NAPO http//osha.europa.eu/sub/na
  po/en/napos-films
• Research and background information
• OSH in figures report Young workers
• Practical information
• Factsheets for employers, young workers, parents
  supervisors
• Risk prevention for young workers Collection of
  good praxis examples (2006)
• Mainstreaming OSH into education Collection of
  good praxis examples (2009)
• Workplace health promotion Collection of good
  praxis examples (2010)

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Exposure to risk factors

15-24 years
total work force
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Exposure to dangerous substances

• Netherlands
• About 15 of young workers exposed to dangerous
  substances, compared to 7 of all workers
• Germany
• About 20.9 of young workers report working with
  oil, grease, soil and dirt, compared to 18.1 of
  all workers
• EU
• Carcinogenic substances, under 25 years 17
  exposure, ca. 13 for older workers
• France
• Exposure to chemicals, 47 of young workers, 37
  others

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Occupational accidents

• Non-fatal accidents in the EU (2003)
• 4,7 18-24 years, 3,3 all workers
• Comparing 18-24 year old workers to 55-64 year
  old workers, young workers have a 40 higher
  incident rate for non-fatal accidents
• France
• Likelyhood of under 25 year olds to have an
  accident is 3 times greater than overall average
• Netherlands
• Possible chance of accidents for young workers
  (20-24 years) as twice as high as for normal
  workforce

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Why are young people at special risk?

• Factors putting young workers at risk include
• Lack of awareness of OSH risks
• Lack of skill/training in the job they are doing
• Physical/mental immaturity
• Being given jobs that are beyond their
  capabilities
• Lack of health and safety information and
  training
• Lack of supervision
• Lack of awareness of employers duties, and their
  own rights and responsibilities
• Lack of confidence to raise OSH issues

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Main employment sectors for young workers
Percentage of workers being 15-24 years old

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Number of accidents by sector
Number of accidents resulting in more than 3
days lost at work (per 100 000, 2003)
lt18 years
18-24
total
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Employment conditions

• Temporary work
• 37,5 of YW were in fixed-term jobs, compared to
  12 of all workers (2005)
• Part-time jobs
• 25 young workers had a part-time job within the
  EU-25 compared to 16 of workers aged 25-49
  (2005)
• Shift work
• YW do more shift work and have more irregular
  working hours (shift work 22,4 YW 19,3 all
  workers, 2000)
• High pace at work
• YW are more often working at high speed and
  tight deadlines than others (27,9 of YW - 24,9
  all workers, 2000)
• Effects of unemployment on young workers
• In most of the European regions, unemployment of
  YW was at least twice as high than total
  unemployment rate (2005)

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Conclusions for prevention

• Focus on special sectors
• Focus on most prevalent risks
• Develop effective training methods
• Target employment agencies
• Give attention to female jobs
• Mainstream OSH into education at all levels
• Remember that young workers are not a homogenous
  group
• Pay special attention to part-timers and
  temporary workers
• Include young workers issues into guidelines on
  shift working
• Cooperation across policy areas is needed
• Train inspectors on the special risks for young
  people

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Manpower/AXA/Arcelor Belgium
Good praxis example

• Temporary workers must know steel company Arcelor
  safety rules BEFORE being employed
• Arcelor safety rules difficult to learn. 30
  assessment failure. How well were rules
  remembered by those passing?
• Partnership between temporary work agency,
  Manpower, company Arcelor, Mutual insurer AXA
• Young workers developed tool at AXA for training
  at Manpower
• Self-paced e-learning, step-wise approach,
  illustrations, quizzes
• Computerized multiple choice test -gtSafety
  passport
• Success 100 pass rate, no accidents to
  temporary workers in the period from 2005-2006

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Manpower/AXA/Arcelor - Belgium
Good praxis example

• Putting things in place for new starters at
  Arcelor
• Illustrated job description covers tasks,
  tools, machinery, risks, site jargon etc,
  developed together with Manpower
• Each new worker assigned a coach an experienced
  worker
• Temporary and permanent staff treated equally
  aim to have temporary workers fully involved
• Close communication with temporary work agency
  meetings, accident report exchange
• Safety Charter between temporary employment
  agencies and Arcelor, sign by directors
  commitment from the top

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Thank you for your attention!flintrop_at_osha.europ
a.eu