Employers who hire young people new to the workforce this year are being urged to ensure that new workers are appropriately supervised and trained in their new role.

Queensland’s Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace explained that the safety messaging is particularly important at this time of year, and critical in light of young people having some of the highest rates of injury of any group in the Australian workforce.

“With lots of young people heading into the world of work for the first time, it’s a good time to remind employers they have a duty of care to train and supervise them in proper safety procedures,” Ms Grace said.

“The message for employers is clear – young workers are keen to do a good job for their new bosses but often lack experience in how to work safely. So give them the right tools and set them up for success.”

She also reiterated that young workers need to have adequate on-the-job training that ensures they understand risk management strategies and their right to a safe work environment.

Workers under 25 make up at least 14% of the Australian workplace, and the ABS reported that 14,000 young workers had serious workers’ compensation claims in 2018?19, representing approximately 12.4% of all serious claims in that period.

The call for strong safety messaging comes after a number of separate incidents, which highlight the importance of Ms Grace’s key messages: training and supervision. They also show that the penalties for failing to appropriately induct, train and supervise young workers can be severe.

In one case in NSW, a Hunter Valley metal fabrication business was fined $240,000 after a work experience student sustained permanent loss of vision to both eyes as a result of ‘flash burn’ from welding without eye protection. While he had been inducted and given a safety guide, he was not provided with the appropriate information as to how to wear and use his personal protective equipment.

In a separate incident, a Coffs Harbour manufacturing business was fined $250,000 when a 17-year-old work experience student had the tips of two fingers crushed and amputated when his hand got caught in a brake press machine.

Businesses are reminded that prevention and appropriate workplace training are essential, particularly for new workers, and each state and territory’s safety regulator has information to inform and educate both young workers and their employers.

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure the safety of young workers, including appropriate levels of supervision; adequate safety inductions, training and support; and ensuring young workers feel they can ask for support or assistance where needed.