The inquiry into apprentices by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), which was published by its National Occupational Safety and Health Committee (NOSHC) in May, found there was a misunderstanding of who a “typical” apprentice is.
The report found that the safety advice currently available ‘assumes’ that apprentices are 24 or under, male, and working in a manual trade. However, recent evidence shows that the typical apprentice is 25 or older, female, and in the service sector. This can lead to a ‘dearth’ of adequate safety advice for apprentices in the UK.
In fact, according to its findings, almost three quarters (73%) of all apprentices starting in 2014/15 were in three sectors: business, administration and law (29%); health, public services and care (26%); and retail and commercial enterprise (18%). A total of 53% of these apprenticeships starts were by women (264,800) and 47% by men (235,100), said the report.
More apprentices also have disabilities today. In the year analysed, 2014/15, 44,000 (9%) of apprenticeship starters had learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The number was 26,000 in 2009/10 and has risen in four of the past five years.
Now RosPA is starting work to address issues identified in the report and to extend and enhance the available information on apprentices. Through NOSHC it aims to engage with the GB health and safety community to identify further good practice and disseminate through the RoSPA Young Worker’s Website.
See the full report here (PDF file).