“Young Workers – Safe Start at Work”

In 2006, in response to the appeal by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao, National Labour Inspectorate is organising, together with other partners, the thematic campaign dedicated to young workers who begin their working life.

Central Institute for Labour Protection-National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB) coordinates the campaign in Poland. The institute plays the role of the National Focal Point of the Agency.

Statistical data show that individuals with “short” work experience become accident victims much more often than more experienced workers (over 30 per cent of persons suffering injuries in accidents have work experience shorter than one year). This can be changed by educating them on occupational hazards, providing information on the existing labour law regulations, and shaping proper attitudes related to safe behaviour patterns. We invite all those aware of this problem’s significance – from among students, young workers, their employers, teachers, parents and tutors, to cooperate with us in popularising knowledge on labour protection and promoting appropriate examples.

Although the European campaign begins officially on 19 June 2006, the labour inspectorate already launched it on 1 and 2 June 2006 during the so-called “open days” organised under the slogan: “You can count on labour inspector’s assistance”, and during job fairs, which were held in the same period. “Open days” were an opportunity to present new publications for young workers, prepared by our labour inspection.
 

Every worker was once an apprentice

National Labour Inspectorate undertakes, together with other campaign partners, the implementation of an educational programme for students at post-gymnasium schools and young people learning their professional skills in craft establishments. The fact that young people attend classes enables us to reach this group with knowledge on the basic legal issues regulated in “Labour code”, and the rules of work safety and health.

The pack of materials necessary to prepare a class, comprises a manual and a compact disk – both developed by a team of experts from Central Institute for Labour Protection-National Research Institute. They include detailed instructions on how to run a class and exemplary tests for students, as well as comprehensible explanations of regulations and examples of good practice.

Teachers willing to take part in the said educational programme will be recruited by District Labour Inspectorates. The number of prospective participants is limited – so the application date is decisive. The candidates will be familiarised with detailed rules of the programme and will receive support materials during short training meetings in September 2006. While implementing the programme, they will be able to get additional support from our labour inspection, for example in the form of free of charge legal consultations or a labour inspector’s visit during a class. All teachers and schools participating in the programme will be given certificates of participation, issued by National Labour Inspectorate.

Recruitment of tutors interested in the educational programme will also be conducted by Polish Craft Association, Voluntary Labour Corps and other partners of the campaign.
 

Interactive teleteaching

Our labour inspection is preparing a short correspondence course on work safety and health this year. It will be a collection of understandable information, illustrated with numerous examples. After having logged onto the internet website, the trainees will gain access to educational programmes on several levels, each of which ends with a test. Positive test results will give them the right to participate in a lottery of prize gifts, funded by organisers.
 

Competitions

National Labour Inspectorate will also take part in organising competitions for young workers. The competition co-organised by our inspection and Polish Craft Association “Competition for Juvenile Craft Workers”, whose all-Poland final took place on 15 May 2006, fits this year’s campaign. Central Institute for Labour Protection has invited our inspection to co-organise “All-Poland Competition for Posters on Work Safety”, “European Good Practice Award” competition, and “Drawing Contest for Children”. This year’s novelty is the “European Competition for Video Films on Work Safety by Young People”.

National Focal Point of the Agency (CIOP-PIB) coordinates the Polish edition of the campaign, which is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and Science.

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