Young apprentices are most at risk when it comes to suffering an injury at work, according to research from Direct Line for Business.
On average, there were 13,000 cases of non-fatal accidents among young apprentices or workers aged between 16 and 18 each year in this country, the research said. While this accounted for 3.6 per cent of all workers in this age group, across the entire workforce, including all age brackets, there were 649,000 non-fatal workplace accidents each year, accounting for 2.1 per cent of all workers.
These figures highlight the fact that apprentices are 73 per cent more likely to be hurt in an accident at work, partly as a result of there being less apprentices in employment than full time staff.
Businesses which take on apprentices need to ensure that they have a sufficient level of employers’ liability insurance to help cover them if they are prosecuted for an accident at work.
Head of Direct Line for Business, Nick Breton, said: "The research indicates that apprentices are at greater risk of injury in the workplace so it is therefore vital for employers to have the right safety and training procedures in place to help ensure younger employees are aware of any risks.
"Work related illnesses such as respiratory disease, stress and pain in the body’s joints can also be avoided so it is vital for employers to have the right health and safety measures in place to reduce the number of people affected."
