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.

The WHSQ Priority Plan 2024-2030 outlines the regulator’s key focus areas for the next six years, addressing the most serious, current and emerging WHS risks to workers, industry and the community. Apprentices are identified as a particularly vulnerable worker group. The plan also details WHSQ’s targeted work program which includes planned interventions for priority areas, and further insights into other vulnerable workers.

Under Queensland’s WHS laws, persons conducting a business or undertaking are responsible for the health and safety of apprentices or trainees in the workplace in the same way as other employees. This includes providing apprentices or trainees with:

• an introduction to the workplace which covers hazard identification and risk prevention.
• training in safe work procedures.
• initial and ongoing supervision.
• personal and protective equipment including instructions on how to effectively use and wear equipment.

Use the Young Worker Health and Safety Toolkit to find out about:

• the importance of a supportive workplace safety culture
• the unique characteristics of young workers
• how to design work to improve the safety of young workers
• how to teach young workers to identify and manage risks
• how to build the safety capability of young workers
• where to find resources to help you talk to young workers about work health and safety.

Further information

To learn more about your obligations under the WHS laws, visit the page on Work health and safety laws.

For information on supporting young workers visit the page on young workers.

To learn more about the apprentice safety research project contact apprentice.safety.research@uq.edu.au.