Shaping the future of trade apprenticeships: research into WHS risks and injury prevention

Did you know apprentice workers are classified as a vulnerable worker group, meaning they are at higher risk of workplace injury?

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has partnered with the University of Queensland and East Coast Apprenticeships (and in turn, Golden West Apprenticeships and SMART Apprenticeship Solutions) on research to improve work, health and safety (WHS) outcomes for trade apprentices. This four-year research project started in July 2024 and is part of a PhD scholarship.

The research explores the changing landscape of trade apprenticeships in Australia and how these changes may have influenced the nature and severity of WHS outcomes for apprentices and businesses that employ them. The research covers three broad areas:

• What is the work-related injury and illness experience of trade apprentices in Australia across a range of population groups?
• What are the significant predictors and moderators of apprentice injury and illness experience (e.g., investigation of the role of the structure of their apprenticeships, their psychological safety or nature and type of pastoral care)?
• How might industry best respond to mitigate the most significant risks to the WHS of trade apprentices in Australia?

It is expected that the research will be used to inform injury prevention strategies for apprentice workers and provide frameworks and tools to improve apprentice safety.

Young workers aged from 15 to 24 years make up about 18 per cent of the Queensland workforce. Around 4400 young workers are seriously injured at work in Queensland each year.

In a number of industries, young workers are over-represented in injury statistics compared to older and more experienced workers. Because young workers are a diverse group of individuals who are predisposed to reacting and behaving differently in different situations, it makes sense to use different methods when engaging and communicating with them.

Did you know that young workers:

• have a unique risk profile
• are vulnerable to peer pressure and will model the behaviour of their co-workers, whether right or wrong
• often cannot perceive when a situation becomes risky
• can be reluctant to ask questions or raise concerns about their safety.

Tips for employers

As an employer, you must ensure the work environment and the way workers carry out their work is healthy and safe, regardless of the type and terms of their employment. This includes protecting young workers from both physical and psychological workplace hazards. Employers of young workers should:

• understand young workers' risk profile
• ensure a safe and healthy workplace
• provide information, training, instruction and supervision
• develop a positive workplace culture.

Consider the skills, abilities and experience of young workers. Supervisors and managers of young workers are encouraged to use the ‘Tell me, show me, watch me’ approach when undertaking task-specific inductions with young workers.

Step 1: Tell me

Provide a clear and detailed explanation of the task to the young worker, paying particular attention to critical elements and making the young worker aware of documented procedures.

Step 2: Show Me

Demonstrate the task while the young worker watches, explain key points and ask the young worker questions to check for understanding at particular intervals.

Step 3: Watch me

Review the young worker perform the task and provide clear and constructive feedback to ensure they are performing the task correctly and safely.

Prior to starting work, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must consider a young worker's knowledge and assess their ability to work safely and test their competency. It is not sufficient to accept a young worker's assurance that he or she is experienced and competent.

Tips for young workers

As a young worker, think about why your health and safety is important, not just for your job but for enjoying your life outside of work as well. Statistics show that you are more likely to be injured in the first few months of a new job than if you've been doing it for a while.

Your employer has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace. This means providing information, training, instruction and supervision to protect you from any risks to your health and safety. You also have responsibilities under work health and safety legislation, including:

• following all reasonable instructions
• following workplace policies and procedures
• not putting yourself or your workmates at risk
• wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as required
• reporting unsafe situations, injuries or near-misses to your immediate supervisor and/or employer.

Resources

• Good work design for young workers webinar
• Influencing the safety of young workers webinar
• Jason's story film
• I love you, Dad - The Dale Kennedy story
• Jason Daniels' story – surviving an electric shock from overhead powerlines
• The right start – building safe work for young workers film
• Electrical safety for apprentices film
• Young worker safety toolkit (PDF, 4.59 MB)
• Children and young workers Code of Practice 2006 (PDF, 0.42 MB)
• Young workers toolkit accepted not rejected
• Promoting workplace safety for young employees (Jahin Tanvir)