Four Reasons Young Workers Are Most at Risk of Injury

Work health & safety is an important part of any HR policy, and all businesses have a duty of care and legal requirement to train their staff in best practices. But what you might not be as aware of is the attention and awareness that is needed for one of the most at-risk sections of your workforce – your young workers.


Young workers (aged 15-24) are engaged in the workforce in a number of ways, including part-time and full-time employment, casual employment and volunteering, and apprenticeships and traineeships.


It’s easy to fall into the trap of expecting young workers to know how to look after themselves and colleagues when it comes to workplace safety. However, this is not the case at all. Remember back to what it was like in the first few weeks of your very first job – how much did you think about safety, risks and hazards back then?


Young workers have one of the highest work-related injury rates of any age group (ABS 2017-18). This is second only to those towards the end of their work careers.


For HR professionals, business managers, team leaders and health and safety specialists, understanding young worker safety is critical to a safe and confident workplace. Here are 4 reasons your young workers are most at risk of serious injury, and what employers can do to protect them.

New Paragraph

By Ziggy Dequito August 1, 2025
Start FY25-26 with a robust WHS risk review. Identify gaps, update safety practices, and drive compliance with smarter tools and better insights.
By Ziggy Dequito August 1, 2025
Understand the latest safety law changes for FY25–26. Update your policies and training to meet new WHS requirements and avoid compliance gaps.
By Ziggy Dequito August 1, 2025
Ensure your onboarding aligns with updated Fair Work Statement rules for FY25–26. See how HR teams can meet compliance and protect new starters.
By Ziggy Dequito August 1, 2025
Ensure your workplace aligns with WHS compliance for FY25-26. Discover key updates, strategies, and tools to enhance safety and meet legislative requirements.
By Tania Romano July 24, 2025
Key 2025-2026 compliance changes for Australia’s construction industry, including NCC 2025, silica ban, psychosocial risk, and licensing reform.
By Tania Romano July 7, 2025
Explore the hiring barriers that disadvantage skilled candidates in Australia and how WorkPro can help remove the noise from recruitment.
Show More