Strict rules for young workers

Cape Town - The Department of Labour has published very stringent new rules that employers have to comply with when employing persons under 18 years.

Before such youngsters may be employed, an employer in future has to do a comprehensive study to determine any risks and dangers to the workers that are associated with the work.

Even the mere possibility that such a youthful worker could be exposed to risks and dangers has to be investigated.

The employer then has to adopt a policy of protecting workers under the age of 18 from dangers and risks - and this policy must be monitored regularly.

Gavin Stanfield from legal firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr says the regulations were published in January. They came into force on February 7.

Strict rules also apply to the monitoring of young employees working in environments that could affect their respiration, or where they have to work above ground level.

Other circumstances related to young employees that need to be monitored by employers in future include where they are expected to pick up heavy objects, where they have to work in cold or hot conditions, where they have to work in areas generating a lot of noise, or they have to perform tasks requiring the use of electrical equipment.

Employers transgressing the new rules can be sent to prison for 12 months. If an employer fails to remove a young worker from a dangerous workplace he can receive, apart from the 12 months, further imprisonment for each day that he continues keeping the young worker in such conditions.

- Sake24.com

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