WorkSafe Victoria has relaunched a campaign to remind employers of the importance of keeping vulnerable young workers safe.
Minister for Workplace Safety, Ingrid Stitt said the campaign, Unsafe is always unacceptable, featured young workers confronted with questions about their willingness to ignore health and safety concerns if it meant they could secure a job.
“Out of 23 young workers, 21 said they would work without training, accept bullying and harassment as part of the job, and accept unsafe working conditions to secure employment,” Ms Stitt said.
“Young workers may lack experience, can be hesitant to ask questions about how to do things safely or raise safety risks and often don’t know about their health and safety rights,” she said.
“We want to make sure every workplace is safe and one that everyone knows their rights in.”
Ms Stitt said WorkSafe had accepted 774 injury claims for workers aged between 15 and 24 this year, in addition to 2,390 claims accepted last year.
The Minister said 19 per cent of the claims were in the construction industry, which made it the most hazardous for young workers.
She said a further 17 per cent were in the manufacturing industry and 8.6 per cent in retail trade.
“Employers have a responsibility to ensure every worker is safe, no matter their age or their understanding of important health and safety information,” she said.
“For young workers this includes ensuring they are correctly trained and empowered to speak up if they have concerns or are unsure how to complete a task safely,” Ms Stitt said.
