With Christmas upon us very soon, many businesses will be recruiting temporary staff to meet increased demand. Invariably, the majority of these new recruits will be young (especially students) and inexperienced workers, recruited directly or via agencies. Employers are reminded that they have mandatory health and safety duties towards all such new recruits.
Increased risks arise because of:
- Lack of experience of working in a new workplace or industry
- Unfamiliar with a job and work environment
- Not wanting to or being reluctant to raise concerns
- Not knowing how to or who to raise concerns with
- Eagerness to impress colleagues and management
This means new workers may not recognise hazards, may not understand local safety rules, they may ignore safe operating procedures or ignore safety signs. It is your duty to ensure these factors are known and understood by all employees, regardless of their status.
What Should Employers Do?
Assess the capability of the individual in terms of:
- Literacy and numeracy
- General health
- Relevant work experience and familiarity with the work
- Physical capability
Induction
- Provide an induction on their first day, covering health and safety matters (fire safety, evacuation routes and procedures, welfare facilities, smoking rules etc), using simple language. Where possible, use diagrams and photos and carry out a guided walk around the site to highlight the nature and siting of common hazards.
Control Measures
- Consult the staff and carry out a risk assessment which highlights all common hazards, with appropriate control measures
- Communicate the risk assessment to staff
- Provide relevant information and training to new starters about possible risks and precautions. This should include advice on reporting incidents and near misses.
- Provide suitable personal protective equipment with training on the safe use, storage, and handling of PPE.
Supervision
- Provide adequate training, supervision and instruction so new workers do not feel exposed, feel alone or do not know what to do. Let them know you are there to help them and keep them safe.
- Check new employees understand the information, instructions and training. Ensure they are acting upon it.
- Make sure workers know who to speak to, how to raise concerns and are familiar with emergency arrangements.
- Keep all records for each employee.
Employers are advised to call the HS Helpline where you can discuss all your HS needs.
