Information for employers

As a supervisor or employer of a young worker, you have the greatest influence over their safety at work. While you have a legal responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace which protects them from physical and psychological workplace hazards, their parents, family and friends are relying on you to provide guidance and support so that they return home safe and unharmed at the end of the working day.

More information about your legal responsibilities can be found on the SafeWork SA website or by calling 1300 365 255.

As an employer, you can create a safer workplace by:

• looking out for peer pressure and how other workers influence your young worker's behaviour
• talking about safety every day before the work day starts and encouraging all workers to think about what is different today or unique that may impact everyone's safety
• creating a culture of safety where everyone prioritises safety on the job
• provide induction training and supervision so young workers have the information, training and guidance to enable them to work safely
• consider the tasks you ask a young person to do - are the tasks in line with their skills,abilities and experience?
• provide safety equipment such as gloves, safety footwear, eye protection etc. that are relevant and appropriate for the task they are doing
• share information with your workers about workplace health and safety including:
  • who to contact and what to do if they have an accident or have a safety concern
  • that it is okay to ask for help if they are unsure about doing something

Useful Resources

Take 5 for safety

The Master Builders Association's Take 5 system provides apprentices with a simple, effective way to help them stay safe at work. What can you do to make safety part of every day?

Video transcript

Download your free daily safety checklist.

A reminder of the importance of keeping young worker's safe

In 2007, Jay was a 24 year old carpenter when was injured at work and suffered a severe brain injury. In A young worker’s injury: Jay’s story, Jay's mother reminds us that injuries can have a significant long term impact on the person injured, their family and those around them.

Video transcript

Other videos

• The right start: Building safe work for young workers
  Worksafe Queensland developed this short video about managing young workers. Watch this video to see two young workers going about their day’s work, and how their interactions with their supervisors can have different effects on the outcomes – for good or bad.
• Out of sight doesn't mean out of mind
  This ad, developed as part of the Mental Health Coalition's AdMental event, is targeted to young people to help build individual and community awareness of mental health.