HR & Workforce · Mandatory · Pre-Construction

Young Worker Risk Assessment

A specific risk assessment for workers under 18 years of age.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. MHSWR 1999 / Young Persons Regs remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) Regulation 16 + Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR)
Young person	Any person under 18 years of age
Assessment factors	Inexperience, lack of awareness of risks, physical and psychological capability, prohibited activities
Working hours	Maximum 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week — no opt-out available for young workers, 30-minute break after 4.5 hours of continuous work
Night work	Restricted between 10pm and 6am for young workers (with limited exceptions)
Prohibited activities	Exposure to CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction) substances, work beyond their physical or psychological capacity

1. Young Worker Risk Assessment

Young workers are among the most vulnerable people on any construction site. They lack the experience to recognise hazards, they may not yet have the physical strength or endurance for certain tasks, and they are often reluctant to speak up when they feel unsafe or overwhelmed. The law recognises this vulnerability and requires employers to carry out a specific risk assessment for every young person before they start work, addressing the particular risks that arise from their age, inexperience, and physical and psychological development.

Regulation 16 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to assess the risks to young persons before they start work, taking particular account of their inexperience, lack of awareness of existing or potential risks, and immaturity. The assessment must consider the nature, degree, and duration of exposure to physical, biological, and chemical agents, the form, range, and use of work equipment, the organisation of processes and activities, the extent of health and safety training provided or to be provided, and any risks from specific agents, processes, or work listed in the regulations as being prohibited or restricted for young persons.

Construction apprentices are particularly at risk during their first three months on site, when everything is new and unfamiliar. They may be eager to prove themselves and reluctant to ask questions or admit they do not understand an instruction. Close supervision during this initial period is critical. The supervisor must actively check that the young person understands the task, the hazards, and the controls, and must not assume that a site induction or toolbox talk alone is sufficient.

Parent or guardian notification required for under-16s

Where the young person is under 16 years of age (for example, on a work experience placement arranged by a school), the employer must provide the parent or guardian with comprehensible and relevant information about the risks identified by the assessment, the preventive and protective measures in place, and the level of supervision that will be provided. This notification must be given before the young person starts work. Even for young persons aged 16 or 17, it is good practice to involve parents or guardians in the induction process and to provide them with information about the working environment and the safety arrangements.

2. Content

The young worker risk assessment must cover the following areas. It must be completed before the young person starts work and reviewed whenever there is a significant change in the work, the working environment, or the young person's role.

Assessment area	What to assess
Young person details	Full name, date of birth, age, employer (if apprentice or agency), next of kin, emergency contact, and any relevant medical conditions or disabilities that may affect their ability to work safely on a construction site.
Role and tasks	A description of the role the young person will be carrying out, the specific tasks they will be expected to perform, and the areas of site they will be working in. Tasks should be clearly defined and limited to those that are appropriate for a young person.
Inexperience assessment	An honest assessment of the young person's level of experience and competence. Have they worked on a construction site before? Do they hold a CSCS card? Have they completed any relevant training? Do they understand the hazards associated with their tasks? The assessment must not assume competence — it must be verified.
Physical capability	An assessment of whether the young person has the physical strength, stamina, and coordination to carry out the tasks safely. This includes manual handling capacity, the ability to wear and use PPE correctly, and fitness for tasks involving sustained physical effort, working at height, or working in hot or cold environments.
Prohibited activities	Confirmation that the young person will not be exposed to any work or substances that are prohibited for young workers under the regulations. This includes exposure to CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction) substances, work that is beyond their physical or psychological capacity, work involving harmful exposure to noise or vibration beyond specified limits, and work in environments with extreme temperatures.
Working hours	Confirmation that the young person's working hours comply with the Working Time Regulations 1998: maximum 8 hours per day, maximum 40 hours per week, no opt-out available, a 30-minute rest break after 4.5 hours of continuous work, and no night work between 10pm and 6am (with limited exceptions).
Supervision	The name and role of the person responsible for supervising the young worker, the level of supervision (constant, frequent, or periodic), and the arrangements for ensuring the young person can raise concerns or ask for help at any time.
Training required	A record of the training that has been provided or will be provided before the young person starts each task — including site induction, task-specific training, manual handling, working at height, use of tools and equipment, COSHH awareness, and emergency procedures.
Parent / guardian notification	For young persons under 16: confirmation that the parent or guardian has been provided with information about the risks, the controls, and the supervision arrangements. For those aged 16–17: a record of any communication with the parent or guardian.
Review date	The date on which the assessment will be reviewed. This should be no later than 3 months after the young person starts work, and then at regular intervals thereafter. The assessment must also be reviewed whenever there is a significant change in the work or the young person's role.
Assessor signature	The name, role, and signature of the competent person who carried out the assessment, together with the date of the assessment. The young person should also sign to confirm they understand the risks and controls identified.

3. Common Mistakes

Not conducting the assessment before the young person starts work

Regulation 16 of MHSWR 1999 is explicit: the risk assessment for a young person must be carried out before the young person starts work. This is not an administrative formality that can be completed retrospectively once the young person has been on site for a few days or weeks. The purpose of the assessment is to identify risks and put controls in place before the young person is exposed to those risks. Allowing a young person to start work on a construction site without a completed risk assessment is a regulatory breach and, more importantly, it means the employer has not identified or controlled the risks to one of the most vulnerable people on site.

Allowing young workers to opt out of the 48-hour working week

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, adult workers (aged 18 and over) may voluntarily opt out of the 48-hour maximum working week. Young workers cannot. The maximum working hours for a young person are 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, with no opt-out available. This limit exists because young people are more susceptible to the effects of fatigue, which increases the risk of accidents and injuries. Asking or allowing a young worker to work beyond these limits — even if they volunteer to do so, even if they want the overtime pay — is a breach of the regulations and exposes the employer to enforcement action.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

What are the working hours rules for young workers under the Working Time Regulations?▾

Young workers (those aged 15 to 17 who are above school-leaving age) are subject to stricter working time limits than adult workers. They may work a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. There is no opt-out — unlike adult workers, young workers cannot agree to work longer hours. They are entitled to a rest break of at least 30 minutes if their daily working time exceeds 4.5 hours. They must have a daily rest period of at least 12 consecutive hours between each working day, and a weekly rest period of at least 48 consecutive hours in each 7-day period (this cannot be averaged). Night work is restricted: young workers must not work between 10pm and 6am in most cases, although there are limited exceptions for certain industries (construction is not among the standard exceptions). These limits exist because young people are more vulnerable to fatigue, which impairs concentration, reaction times, and decision-making — all of which are critical on a construction site.

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