Health and safety curriculum call

The chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health has called for health and safety at work to be made part of the national curriculum to combat the number of young people killed when they enter the workplace.

Labour MP Michael Clapham is calling for the curriculum to contain a health and safety element after it was revealed that 64 people under the age of 19 have died at work over the last ten years, while 15,000 have suffered injuries.

Mr Clapham believes the move would better prepare young people for when they enter employment.

Commenting on the above figures, he believes action must be taken to reduce the number of casualties.

"These figures are a shocking indictment of some employer's attitudes to their workers - an attitude that isn't acceptable in the 21st century. I want to see what the government can do to help prevent further loss of young lives," Mr Clapham said.

Around 2,000 schools, colleges and training establishments are making use of the Workplace Hazard Awareness Course, which provides a basic outline of the dangers young people are likely to face in the working environment.

It is produced by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive.

According to a report by the British Safety Council, a young person is seriously injured in a UK workplace every 40 minutes.