Media Releases
Young New Zealand workers injured and killed at work
Wednesday 09 January 2002
The Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) is urging all employers and employees to make workplace health and safety a top priority, especially where young workers are involved.
This week a fourteen year old boy died in an ATV accident in Taranaki.
Last year a number of young workers were killed or seriously injured in workplaces throughout the country.
"Any person dying or been seriously injured at work is a tragedy, but when it’s a young person the tragedy is heightened," said John Forrest, OSH Service Manager, Auckland.
"Accidents have included tree felling and saw mill operations, people falling through sky lights and falling off roofs.
"Workplace deaths last year included a sixteen year old boy who died in a garbage compactor in Auckland.
"In the Manawatu a 21 year old died in an ATV accident and a nineteen year old was electrocuted at work and suffered critical injuries.
"In some of last years accidents and OSH prosecutions, training has been an issue. Young workers need to be correctly supervised and made fully aware of the dangers which go with industries such as manual labour, construction and farming.
"OSH is also focusing on manual handling and exposure to noise, dust and chemicals as hazards.
"These are the type of hazards that young people may expose themselves to without any thought to how that will impact upon their health when they get old."
