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Health and safety week 2006

Young Workers at Risk

Dedicated this year to young people, the 2006 European Health and Safety Week will highlight the need to ensure that young workers have a safe and healthy start to their working lives; and promote risk awareness and risk prevention in enterprises, schools and colleges, and the wider education community. Safe Start! is the slogan for the Week which takes place from 23 October.

Did you know that young workers run a 50% higher risk of work accidents than more experienced workers? Did you know that young people may be more susceptible than older workers if exposed to health hazards? Did you know that many work-related ill-health problems are cumulative in nature, so they may not show at a high rate in young workers but the exposure may make them ill in later life? Did you know that young workers may be subject to harassment and bullying because of their low status or because they are new?

Respect! A health and safety issue

Bullying and harassment at work is the major health and safety concern of UNISON's young members, so we're using Health and Safety Week 2006 to raise awareness, and campaign and organise on the issue.

Guidance for young workers on bullying and harrassment at work
www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2738.pdf

UNISON has produced a poster for the Week:
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2697.pdf

An order form for further copies of the leaflet:
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2684.pdf

A special edition of the newsletter Health and Safety Organiser:
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2652.pdf

We're also be sending a TUC leaflet on young workers to every branch health and safety officer.

For more information on how to get involved and active, including other campaign ideas, further information, and useful links see the special edition of the newsletter Health and Safety Organiser:
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2652.pdf

For further inspiration, see the report on past UNISON branch activity for Health and Safety Week:
http://www.unison.org.uk/safety/inspectionday

We'd like to hear from any young members (or their reps) who have suffered bullying or harassment at work. What did you do to deal with the problem? How did the UNISON branch/safety rep/activist and employer handle the matter? We're looking for good and bad practice examples, and any other comments you may wish to make. We're keep them anonymous (unless you say otherwise) and hope to use them in future guidance. Email: healthandsafety@unison.co.uk

We'd also like to hear about what your branch does to participate in Health and Safety Week 2006 and perhaps cover it in future publications or on the web. Email: healthandsafety@unison.co.uk