Young persons entering construction sites represent a specific risk category under UK Health and Safety Law, requiring additional protection beyond standard risk assessment processes. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must assess risks arising from a young person’s lack of experience, immaturity, and limited awareness of hazards before they are allowed to work.
In practice, this requirement is often misunderstood or applied through generic risk assessment templates that do not fully address legal expectations. Within construction environments, (where hazards include work at height, moving plant, manual handling, and live services) the absence of a robust young person risk assessment can expose employers to enforcement action, particularly under CDM 2015 duties.
This article sets out what must be included in a compliant young person risk assessment in construction, and how it differs from standard risk assessment processes.
A young person risk assessment in construction is not a standard risk assessment but a legally required, enhanced assessment that specifically evaluates risks arising from inexperience, immaturity, and lack of awareness, while defining strict supervision, prohibited activities, and control measures before any work is undertaken.
| What the Law Requires | |
| Key Legislation |
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (Regulation 19) CDM 2015 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 |
| Core Requirement | You must assess additional risks specific to young persons BEFORE they start work |
| What Makes a Young Person Risk Assessment Different | Key Hazards in Construction |
| Lack of experience | Work at height |
| Lack of hazard awareness | Moving plant and vehicles |
| Immaturity and behaviour | Power tools and equipment |
| Physical capability | Manual handling |
| Psychological capability | Slips, trips and falls |
| Exposure to noise, dust and vibration | |
| Electrical hazards | |
| Site traffic | |
| This is the biggest failure in most templates — they treat it like a standard risk assessment | Hazards must be task-specific — not generic |
| Prohibited Activities (Critical Section) | Supervision Requirements |
| No work at height | Direct supervision at all times |
| No use of high-risk plant | Named supervisor |
| No lone working | No unsupervised tasks |
| No confined spaces | |
| No live electrical work | |
| No heavy lifting beyond capability | |
| This section is often missing or too vague — restrictions must be explicit | “Supervisor name” is not enough — define the level of control |
| Training & Competence | Working Hours (Legal Limits, Under 18s) |
| Site induction | Max 8 hours/day |
| Task-specific training | Max 40 hours/week |
| Toolbox talks | Minimum 12 hours rest between shifts |
| Confirmation of competence | Rest breaks required |
| “Training will be provided” is not acceptable — it must be recorded and evidenced | Often incorrectly applied using adult limits |
| Emergency Arrangements | PPE Requirements |
| Fire procedures | Hard hat |
| First aid arrangements | Hi-vis |
| Emergency contacts | Safety boots |
| Site briefing | Gloves |
| Eye protection (if required) |
| Risk Assessment Structure (Critical) |
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A compliant risk assessment must include: Hazard | Risk | Persons at Risk | Controls | Likelihood | Severity | Rating Without scoring, it’s not a complete risk assessment |
| Review & Monitoring | Sign-Off & Accountability |
| Review date | Assessor name & signature |
| Review if duties change | Supervisor sign-off |
| Review after incident | Date of assessment |
| Ongoing supervision | |
| Without sign-off, it has no legal standing |
| Common Failures in Practice |
| Generic templates used without task detail |
| No risk scoring |
| No defined supervision level |
| Missing prohibited activities |
| No evidence of training or competence |
| No young person-specific risk consideration |
| These gaps can lead to HSE enforcement action |
Market Impact
As scrutiny increases under the Building Safety Act and CDM 2015, documentation quality is becoming a key indicator of organisational competence. Inadequate risk assessments (particularly for vulnerable groups such as young persons) are increasingly viewed as a failure of management systems rather than isolated oversights.
Contractor Implications
For contractors and employers, a compliant young person risk assessment is not optional. It is a legal requirement that must be completed before work begins, and it must demonstrate clear understanding of the individual’s limitations, the site risks, and the control measures in place.
Failure to do so can result in enforcement action, project delays, and reputational risk.
Evidence-Based Summary
Young person risk assessment in construction is not driven by a single requirement but by a combination of legal duties under the Management Regulations, CDM 2015, and practical site risk management. While many organisations rely on generic templates, evidence shows that compliance depends on clearly defined supervision, task-specific hazards, and explicit restrictions on high-risk activities.
In practical terms, a compliant assessment must go beyond standard risk assessment formats and demonstrate how the individual’s inexperience and limitations are actively managed on site.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus
Founder, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |
