Young Worker Risk Assessment and Health & Safety Requirements

Young Workers in Brief

Specific risk assessment required for under-18s before they start work
Restrictions on hazardous work, long hours and night work
Parental consultation for those under compulsory school age

Managing Young Workers

Managing young workers means recognising that people who are new to working life, or who are under 18, need additional consideration in how work is organised and supervised. In UK law, a young worker is someone over the minimum school leaving age but under 18. A child is someone below the minimum school leaving age, and different restrictions apply.

Young workers can bring energy, fresh perspectives and new skills. They can also be more vulnerable to workplace risks because they are less likely to recognise hazards, less likely to speak up about them, and still physically and psychologically developing. A well-managed approach protects them without being patronising.

Legal Duties for Managing Young Workers

In the UK, employing young workers triggers specific duties:

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a specific risk assessment before employing a young person, considering their inexperience, immaturity and the risks present.
The Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997 restrict young workers from certain work that is beyond their physical or psychological capacity, involves harmful exposure to dangerous substances, or carries specific risks they cannot reasonably recognise or avoid.
The Working Time Regulations 1998 give young workers specific limits on working hours, night work and rest breaks that are different (and more protective) than the adult limits.
Before employing a child (below school leaving age) there are further restrictions under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and related byelaws, including permitted working hours and types of employment.

Other jurisdictions have their own young worker protections. The principle of a specific risk assessment and extra protections is widely recognised internationally, but the detail varies.

Risk Assessment for Young Workers

A young worker risk assessment is not a replacement for the general risk assessment - it sits alongside it. Specific factors to consider include:

The work, tasks and equipment the young worker will use and whether any are restricted for under-18s.
The physical, biological, chemical, psychological or psychosocial risks in the workplace.
The supervision and training arrangements, given the young worker is new to working life.
The nature and level of monitoring needed until competence is confirmed.
Working time, rest breaks and night work.
Any additional protections for children (below school leaving age).

The assessment and its findings should be shared with the young worker, and where they are under 18 but living at home, with a parent or guardian. This is not always popular with the young person, but it is the requirement.

Working Time Limits for Young Workers

In the UK, young workers are protected by specific working time rules that differ from the adult rules:

A maximum of 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week (with very limited exceptions).
At least 12 hours of daily rest and 48 hours of weekly rest.
A 30-minute break if working more than 4.5 hours.
Restrictions on night work, typically between 10pm and 6am, or 11pm and 7am depending on the job.

These are not optional. Rota planning for young workers needs to build the rules in up front rather than try to fix them afterwards.

Training, Supervision and Support for Young Workers

Young workers often need more structured induction, clearer supervision and more deliberate check-ins than experienced staff. That does not mean hovering over them - it means making sure they understand hazards, know how to ask questions, and have a named person they can go to. An apprentice or trainee role is a well-established way to structure this.

The management system requirements for competence (ISO 9001 Clause 7.2) and awareness (ISO 9001 Clause 7.3) apply to young workers as to anyone else. The difference is the baseline - a young worker coming straight from school may not know things an experienced colleague takes for granted, so the training plan needs to cover the basics alongside the role-specific content.

The specific risk assessment for young workers is often missed. It is not the same as the general workplace risk assessment. It has to look at the young person specifically, including their inexperience, and at the tasks they will actually do.

Some work is simply not appropriate for under-18s regardless of controls. Others need more supervision than an adult would get. Knowing which category a task falls into is the start of the risk assessment.

We take on apprentices each year and treat them as young workers from day one. The risk assessment and training plan come before they start. They have a named supervisor and a monthly review for the first year, separate from the appraisal cycle.

The working time rules catch people out. Rotas for young workers need to be designed with the rules in mind, not patched up after someone flags a problem.

ISO 45001 expects you to identify all workers exposed to risks, which includes young workers and apprentices. Clause 6.1.2 on hazard identification specifically calls out that the capabilities of the workers affect the assessment. A generic workplace risk assessment that does not consider the young workers on site is not meeting the requirement.

Young workers are not a problem to be managed. They are people who need a proper start. A clear induction, good supervision, work that is appropriate for them and someone they can talk to. Do that well and the legal duties mostly follow.

Practical Compliance Guidance

Section 3.1 of the IMS1 Manual covers the management of staff, with young workers treated as a specific group requiring additional risk assessment and support.

Several alphaZ documents support a structured approach to managing young workers:

alphaZ document	How to use it
ISO 45001 Toolkit	The complete toolkit for an ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system, including the risk assessment and training arrangements that apply to young workers.
P-59 Young Workers Policy	Policy setting out the organisation approach to employing young workers, including the checks and controls that apply.
RA-HS20 Young Persons at Work Risk Assessment	Risk assessment template covering the specific hazards for young workers including inexperience, working time and unsuitable tasks.
F-Q4 Staff Induction Record	Induction checklist used to record young worker onboarding, including any additional supervision and training arrangements.
ER2 Staff Training Competency Matrix	Register to log young worker training and track progression through competency levels alongside other staff.

Note - all the above files can be downloaded with an alphaZ subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who counts as a young worker?

In UK law, a young worker is someone over the minimum school leaving age but under 18. A child is someone below school leaving age, with further restrictions. Other jurisdictions use different age thresholds, so the definitions should be checked locally.

Do I need a separate risk assessment for a young worker?

In the UK, yes. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a specific risk assessment before employing a young person, in addition to the general workplace risk assessment. It must consider their inexperience and the particular risks they may be exposed to. Other jurisdictions have equivalent duties.

Are there tasks that young workers cannot do?

Yes. In the UK the Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997 prohibit young workers from certain work that is beyond their physical or psychological capacity, involves harmful exposure to dangerous substances or radiation, or carries specific risks they cannot reasonably recognise or avoid. Other jurisdictions have their own restricted tasks for under-18s.

Do young workers have different working time rules?

In the UK, yes. Young workers are limited to a maximum of 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, with at least 12 hours daily rest and 48 hours weekly rest, and a 30-minute break if working more than 4.5 hours. Night work is restricted. These rules are different from (and more protective than) the adult rules under the Working Time Regulations 1998.

UK Legislation

The following UK legislation is relevant to managing young workers. Organisations outside the UK should identify the equivalent legislation applicable in their jurisdiction.

Further Resources