If you employ anyone under the age of 18 — whether that's an apprentice, a work experience student, or a part-time worker on a Saturday — you are legally required to complete a young persons risk assessment before they start work. Not after their first shift. Before.
This is one of the most frequently overlooked legal requirements in UK construction, and one of the most commonly cited failures during HSE inspections. The law is clear, the duty is absolute, and the consequences of non-compliance can be serious.
This guide explains exactly what the law requires, what a young persons risk assessment must cover, and how to complete one correctly.
What is a young persons risk assessment?
A young persons risk assessment is a formal document that identifies the specific hazards a young worker may face in the workplace, assesses the risks given their particular vulnerability, and sets out the control measures required to protect them.
It is a legal requirement under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR), which states explicitly that an employer shall not employ a young person unless they have made or reviewed a risk assessment specifically in relation to the risks to that young person's health and safety.
It is not optional. It is not something you can retrospectively produce if an inspector visits. It must exist before the young person starts work.
Who is a "young person" under UK law?
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, a young person is defined as someone under the age of 18. There is a further distinction between:
- Young persons — those aged 16 or 17, above the minimum school leaving age but under 18
- Children — those who have not yet reached the minimum school leaving age (typically 16 in England, Wales, and Scotland)
The legal requirements apply to both groups, but the obligations are stricter for children. If you are employing a child — for example, on a school work experience placement — you must also provide the relevant risk assessment information to the child's parent or guardian before they start.
For most construction contractors, the young persons most commonly encountered will be apprentices aged 16 or 17, or school leavers starting their first job on site.
Why are young persons treated differently in law?
The starting point for understanding this legislation is recognising that young workers are statistically more at risk in the workplace than experienced adults. The reasons are specific and well-documented.
In making or reviewing a young persons risk assessment, employers must take particular account of the inexperience, lack of awareness of risks, and immaturity of young persons.
In practical terms this means a 16-year-old apprentice starting their first week on a construction site cannot be expected to have the same hazard awareness as an experienced operative who has worked in the industry for years. They may not recognise when a situation is becoming dangerous. They may be reluctant to speak up if they feel unsafe. They may take risks to impress more experienced colleagues.
Psychological and physical immaturity, inexperience, and a lack of awareness of, or disregard for, work hazards are among the factors which make young people more at risk in the workplace.
This is why a generic site risk assessment is not sufficient on its own. A young persons risk assessment must go further — it must specifically address how the risks change when the person at risk has limited experience, limited hazard awareness, and potentially limited physical development.
When must a young persons risk assessment be completed?
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states that "an employer shall not employ a young person unless he has, in relation to risks to the health and safety of young persons, made or reviewed an assessment."
This means the assessment must be completed — or your existing risk assessment reviewed with specific reference to young person factors — before the young worker starts.
There are two approaches permitted by the HSE:
Option 1 — A standalone young persons risk assessment. A dedicated document covering all the hazards and specific factors relevant to a young person in that role on that site.
Option 2 — Review of existing risk assessments. The HSE has emphasised that this does not mean that an employer has to carry out a separate risk assessment for each young person, but they can review their existing risk assessment and take into account the specific factors for young people before a young person starts with them.
In practice, for construction contractors, a standalone young persons risk assessment document is the cleaner approach. It clearly demonstrates that you have met the specific legal duty, it is easier to present to an inspector or principal contractor, and it ensures nothing is overlooked.
What must a young persons risk assessment include?
In making or reviewing the assessment, an employer who employs or is to employ a young person shall take particular account of the inexperience, lack of awareness of risks and immaturity of young persons; the fitting-out and layout of the workplace and the workstation; the nature, degree and duration of exposure to physical, biological and chemical agents; and the form, range, and use of work equipment.
A compliant young persons risk assessment for UK construction should cover the following:
1. Role and task description
What will the young person actually be doing on site? The assessment must be specific to their role — a young person assisting with groundworks faces different risks to one working in a site office. Generic assessments not tied to a specific role and location are not sufficient.
2. Specific hazard identification
Identify every hazard the young person will be exposed to in their role, with specific reference to why that hazard is a heightened risk for a young person. For example:
- Working at height — a young person may not recognise the seriousness of an unguarded edge or may take risks to demonstrate competence. If your young worker will be working at height, ensure you also have a dedicated working at height risk assessment in place alongside this document.
- Manual handling — a young person's musculoskeletal system is still developing; loads that an experienced adult handles routinely may cause injury
- Plant and machinery — young workers may lack the experience to recognise when equipment is behaving abnormally
- Hazardous substances (COSHH) — a young person may not appreciate the long-term risks of repeated exposure to dust, fumes, or chemicals
- Working near traffic — less developed situational awareness can increase risk near vehicle movements
3. Prohibited work
Certain types of work are either prohibited outright for young persons or require additional controls. Employers may not employ young persons where the work involves exposure to toxic or carcinogenic substances, causes heritable genetic damage, harms unborn children, or causes any other chronic health effect.
The Annex to the EC Directive on young persons at work lists additional categories including ionising radiation, high-pressure atmospheres, and work with explosive devices. For construction contractors, the most relevant restrictions relate to work involving certain hazardous substances, high-voltage electrical systems, and situations involving a significant risk of structural collapse.
4. Control measures
For every hazard identified, document the controls you will put in place. These must specifically address the young person's vulnerabilities — not just the standard site controls. Typical additional controls for young workers include:
- Enhanced supervision — a named, competent operative responsible for directly supervising the young person
- Restricted tasks — specific tasks prohibited until competency is demonstrated and/or formal training completed
- Buddy system — pairing the young person with an experienced operative for the initial period on site
- Induction specific to young workers — covering hazard awareness, the right to raise concerns, and emergency procedures
- Regular check-ins — scheduled welfare conversations to identify any issues before they escalate
5. Working time restrictions
The Working Time Regulations 1998 include special regulations for workers who are under 18 but over school leaving age. These restrict their working hours to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. Normally young persons should not work between 10pm and 6am.
Your risk assessment should acknowledge these restrictions and confirm that the young person's working pattern complies.
6. Training and induction requirements
Document what training the young person will receive before starting work and during their initial period on site. This should include both formal training (CSCS card, tool-specific training, manual handling) and on-the-job induction.
7. Parent or guardian notification (for children)
If the young person is below the minimum school leaving age — for example, a Year 11 pupil on work experience — you must provide the relevant information to their parent or guardian before they start. Document that this has been done.
8. Assessor details, signature and review date
The assessment must be signed and dated by a competent person. It should be reviewed if the young person's role changes, if site conditions change, or following any incident.
Young persons risk assessments on CDM 2015 projects
Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor has overall responsibility for health and safety on a project. If a subcontractor brings a young person onto site, the principal contractor should request sight of the young persons risk assessment as part of the pre-start documentation check.
As a contractor, if you are working under a principal contractor, expect to be asked for this document. Having a professionally drafted, site-specific young persons risk assessment ready significantly reduces the risk of delays to your start date.
Common mistakes contractors make with young persons risk assessments
Using the standard site risk assessment without review. Your general construction risk assessment does not automatically meet the young persons requirement. It must be reviewed specifically against the factors in Regulation 3(5) of the MHSWR.
Completing the assessment after the young person starts. The legal duty is clear — the assessment must be done or reviewed before employment begins. If a young person is injured on their first day and no assessment exists, the consequences for the employer are severe.
Failing to involve the young person. The young worker should be briefed on the assessment findings before they start. They need to understand the hazards they may encounter and what to do if they feel unsafe. Document this briefing.
Not reviewing when tasks change. If the young person's duties expand — for example, they start driving a vehicle or working at height for the first time — the risk assessment must be reviewed.
Generic templates with no site-specific detail. Copying a template without tailoring it to the specific role, site, and individual is not sufficient. The HSE expects assessments to reflect the actual conditions the young person will face.
Download a young persons risk assessment template — ready in 60 seconds
SafetyPod offers a professionally drafted, HSE-compliant young persons risk assessment template written specifically for UK construction contractors. The template covers all the legal requirements under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — including the specific young person factors in Regulation 3(5), prohibited work categories, enhanced control measures, working time restrictions, and parent/guardian notification.
Fully editable in Word. Add your company details, the young person's role, and your site information — and it's ready to present to a principal contractor or HSE inspector.
Download the Young Persons Risk Assessment Template — £3.99
Also in the SafetyPod library
If you are bringing a young person onto a construction site, you may also need:
- Working at Height Risk Assessment — if the young person will work at any height
- Manual Handling Risk Assessment — for any task involving lifting, carrying, or moving loads
- COSHH Assessment — if the young person will be exposed to any hazardous substances
- Site Induction Record — to document that the young person has been briefed on site hazards and emergency procedures
Browse the full SafetyPod library — over 113 professionally drafted, HSE-compliant templates for UK construction contractors, from £3.99.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a young persons risk assessment for a one-week work experience placement?
Yes. The legal duty applies regardless of how long the young person will be on site. A child on a one-week school work experience placement requires a risk assessment and, because they are under school leaving age, their parent or guardian must be informed of the findings before the placement begins.
Can I use my existing site risk assessment for a young worker?
You can review your existing assessment and ensure it addresses the specific young person factors required by Regulation 3(5) of the MHSWR. In practice, a dedicated young persons risk assessment document is cleaner and easier to demonstrate to an inspector or principal contractor.
What happens if I don't complete a young persons risk assessment?
Failure to complete a young persons risk assessment before employing a young person is a breach of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The HSE can issue an Improvement Notice, a Prohibition Notice, or in serious cases — particularly where a young person has been injured — pursue a prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Does a young persons risk assessment apply to apprentices?
Yes. An apprentice aged under 18 is a young person under the MHSWR regardless of their apprenticeship status. The legal duty to complete a young persons risk assessment before they start work applies in full.