What are the duties of the employer who employs a child under compulsory school age?
Employers must notify the local authority of the hours and conditions of a child’s employment and should produce a medical statement to the effect that the employment will not be detrimental to the health or physical development of the child and will not leave him or her unfit to receive appropriate benefit from his or her education.
Employers must complete a risk assessment, which will cover the health and safety of the young person whilst at work. The assessment should be given to the parent/carer of the employed child.
In making a risk assessment, particular account should be taken to:
- the inexperience, lack of awareness of risks and immaturity of young people;
- the layout of the workplace and the workstation;
- the nature, degree and duration if exposed to physical, biological and chemical agents;
- the form, range and use of work equipment and the way in which it is handled;
- the organisation of processes and activities;
- the extent of the health and safety training provided, or to be provided, to young people; and
- the risks from agents, processes and work listed in the Annex to Council Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work.
Employers wishing to employ a child in their area must apply to the local authority for a work permit. This must be signed by the parents and in some cases by the school.
The employer will be committing an offence if they employ a child when the local authority has prohibited or restricted the employment of the child.
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