How to Protect Young Workers

In the UK among the number of those dying in the workplace, the majority are between the ages of 16-24 years. Even though this number has started to decline drastically, the health and safety executive has set new methods of educating this young workforce. It is discouraging that these young individuals are losing their lives because they are not adequately educated and informed about the possible dangers they face at the workplace. It is with this issue in mind that we have put few points to help in guiding the young workers and teens about the dangers in the workplace. These points are to inform and educate for the sound of the future to prevent the occurrence of ugly accidents that account for the deaths.

Why is it that the young workers are more prone to accidents?

It is crucial that we understand why the young people are more involved in accidents which occur in the workplace. According to HSE, young people are enthusiastic to impress and please their employers at the cost of their safety.Young workers are usually the newly appointed in most jobs, and they tend to be less careful about their safety because they are not yet mature to take of themselves. Unlike other mature employees the young people ignore most of the warnings and signs to be more careful in the job site and this results in very adverse results which including death and other ugly mutilations. For example, younger workers using powered electric saws tend to be ignorant of the danger they are exposed to in case they mistreat the equipment and before they realize it already their hand or some part of the body has been chopped off.

The strength that particular roles in the workplace demand may not be sufficient from the one, the young workers can offer and hence there is a higher risk of being exposed to the danger of death and accidents sometimes. The employers are advised to ensure that before they can put young men in some roles, they should ascertain that they have the necessary skills and manpower to execute them. There a necessity for proper scrutiny and training of the young staff before they can be entrusted with sensitive roles.

The following tips are recommended for the young staff especially those freshly absorbed into the workplace.

Speak up and not down.

As a peer advisor especially among the young in the job, there is a tendency of the new staff to ignore instructions. One the primary reasons they ignore the speaker is if he considers them to be a bunch of kids whom should follow strict orders. As the employer HSE recommends that you put yourself in the situation of this young people and try to understand the anxiety they have of landing there the first job. However as the speaker, it is important that you know your audience and equally give room for them to answer and contribute to the conversation rather than behaving a tutor lecturing some young kids. It is not possible to remember how you felt like a new employee fresh into the job but by all means try to be in their situation. Hence, the main point here is that educator shall not bore the new employees.

Sleeping during a boring presentation

It is not very unusual for the audience to slip into a very deep sleep during the safety presentation or ACLS recertification. However the question to answer is whether or not you are the cause of the public losing concentration on matters that are essential for their wellbeing in the job place. To prevent this from occurring it is good to embrace technology and have few videos in the slides or some funny and entertaining illustrations, this ensures that your audience is lively and more attentive to what you are presenting.  Since another problem involved with boring your audience is that the majority will turn back to their smartphones and start playing games or chatting with their colleagues and telling them silently how annoying your lecture is making them.

Harness the statistics of the death rate

I must admit that the statistics of total deaths at the workplace it may become easier to convince the audience of what is necessary occurring in the workplace but also it is a need to use charts for more straightforward interpretation. Statistical data presentation plays a vital role in enhancing how useful the lecture can be in the workplace. The use of flow charts bar graphs and most likely pie charts assists in delivering the intended message quickly compared to a long and crowded bunch of figures. A large number of those involved in accidents can be at times very distractive especially to the attentiveness of the audience and hence there is a need to be precise as possible.

Be realistic

As from the previous tip, we have noticed that statistics can serve well in educating the new employees it is also important that you keep the figures realistic. For example, it is possible to scare the audience of a vast number of people who have died but also it can be touching and sending precise information by presenting the life history of a real life experience. For instance, you can give an example of an employee whose life was totally changed due to an accident which occurred in the workplace.

Use of illustrations

Some health and safety regulations are full of ‘dos’ and ‘don’s’ which though are the perfect way of presenting the work safety information it may not be the best. It is advisable that other tactics can be used for example by awarding those who have upheld the safety standards within the then workplace. Awards,   for instance, targeting those who have protected other staff member and also upheld precaution for the whole organization can be recognized and awarded. The company is prone to some liabilities especially due to prosecution and paying of fines for the members injured during duty and hence it becomes necessary that new employees should be properly guided before they resume their duties.

Has it can be seen the protection of the young staff is paramount for the success of the organization. Within the UK, some companies have been held liable for the deaths which occur in their young members in the workforce and have been charged large amounts. The HSE advice that proper guidance and training are necessary for the staff that is freshly recruited to ensure that nobody is ignorant of the possible workplace dangers and possible means of preventing them. For example, if the potential risk is fired it is necessary that the new employees are thought and stimulated on how possibly they can use the necessary equipment’s and how safe to avoid an early death. Unlike other mature employees the young people ignore most of the warnings and signs to be more careful in the job site and this results in very adverse results which including death and other ugly mutilations. For example, younger workers using powered electric saws tend to be ignorant of the danger they are exposed to in case they mistreat the equipment and before they realize it already their hand or some part of the body has been chopped off.

Finally, safety is the key to successful production and company prosperity and hence nobody should underestimate the efforts made by the young and newly appointed recruits because they are the company’s future employees.