The British Safety Council has launched a campaign called ‘Speak Up, Stay Safe’, which aims to encourage younger people to look after their own health and safety in the workplace.
The campaign hopes to give younger workers the confidence to talk to their superiors at work if they are ever put in a situation they feel uncomfortable in. A lot of the time workers in a junior position will feel they have to say yes to every demand to either fit in with their colleagues or for fear of losing their job – even if the request compromises their safety.
This is where a lot of accidents occur and Speak Up, Stay Safe wants to highlight to young people that they shouldn’t ever be put in a position where they can’t say no. British Safety Council chief executive Julie Nerney says: “Every 40 minutes in the UK a young person is seriously injured in the workplace. We think this position is wholly unacceptable. By highlighting to young people that they need to be aware of their environment and speak up if they feel unsafe we hope to significantly reduce this number.”
The sentiment is also echoed by the head of policy and public affairs for the British Safety Council, Neal Stone: “In 2009, 3,200 young people between the ages of 16-19 were seriously injured while in work. In the past 10 years, 66 young workers have been killed in the workplace. These numbers show how important this campaign is, not just for young workers but to those around them – their parents, family members, friends and teachers.”
To find out more about the campaign, you can visit its website at: http://www.speakupstaysafe.com/