Young People at UCL
Health and safety law defines individuals under the minimum school leaving age (MSLA) as a
child. Individuals between the MSLA and 18 years of age are defined as a young person.
Individuals under 18years of age may be on UCL premises or involved in UCL activities for a
variety of reasons:
 they are a UCL employee (trainee or apprentice)
 they are enrolled on a course of study i.e. a student
 they are undertaking work experience/work shadowing provided by a UCL department
 they are a visitor e.g. an educational trip or open day
Young individuals are seen as being particularly at risk because of their possible inexperience and
immaturity and lack of awareness of existing or potential risks. Therefore there are restrictions
placed on the activities that these individuals may undertake.
Young Persons, under the age of 18 years old, should not undertake work that:
 is longer than a standard 8 hour day, five days in any consecutive 7-day period,
unnecessarily long or unsocial hours;
 cannot be adapted to allow for a physical or mental limitation;
 involves working alone or unsupervised;
 exposes them to toxic or cancer causing substances;
 takes place in Containment Level 3 laboratories;
 takes place on construction sites;
 involves extreme heat, noise or vibration;
 involves workshop machinery e.g. grinding wheels, lathes, cutting and drilling machines.
unless ALL of the following apply:
 the work is necessary for their training, e.g. apprenticeship
 the work is properly supervised by a competent person; AND
 the risks are reduced to the lowest level, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Individuals under the MSLA must never do work involving the above risks under any
circumstances.
People under the age of 18 must not work with radiation or in radiation areas.
The Head of Department must give permission anyone under the age of 18 to work or study in
the Department, and ensure that:
 arrangements are in place to ensure the health, safety and welfare of these individuals;
 adequate supervision arrangements are in place;
 UCLs Child Protection (Safeguarding) Policy is implemented. See the following link:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/staff_info/child_protection/Safeguarding
The Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that:
 a risk assessment for the activities to be undertaken by the individual has been carried out
and key findings and control measures documented. When carrying out risk assessments
and specifying a work plan supervisors must take into account the possible limitations of
the individual;
 the level of supervision is specified. The limitations of the individual will determine the level
of supervision; in some circumstances direct supervision will be necessary, in other
circumstances the supervisor’s presence in the workplace will be sufficient;
 the individual is provided with induction, and information and training identified by the risk
assessment for the activity;
 the individual understands that they must take reasonable care of their own health and
safety and that of other people who may be affected by their actions, and co-operate with
UCL’s and/or the host departments arrangements for managing safety.
 Any relevant parental or guardian consent has been obtained.
Safety Services
1
Work Experience Guidance
This section relates specifically to the provision of work experience at UCL and must be
implemented in addition to the requirements set out in the previous section (page 1) relating to
young people.
A Work Experience Person (WEP) is a pupil or student from an organisation outside UCL,
usually a school or college, placed at UCL for the purpose of work experience.
N.B. WEP’s are regarded, from a health and safety management perspective, as employees of
the Department providing that work experience.
Work Organisers (WO) are organisations e.g. schools, colleges, Careers Service Company or a
local education authority that identify work experience opportunities for young people. In some
circumstances the WO may be the parent or guardian of the young individual.
The Work Organiser must be supplied with a copy of the risk assessment and any significant
findings of the risk assessment before the start date.
The WO may also request the following:
 UCL Statement of Safety Policy;
 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/safetynet/policy/index.htm
 UCL’s insurance arrangements; Employers Liability and Occupiers Liability;
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/secure/fin_acc/laibility_policies.pdf
 Departmental (Institute, School etc.) Statement of Safety Policy
 name and contact details of the supervisor/manager who will be responsible for the WEP
 induction arrangements that are undertaken;
 a description of the work and any associated restrictions;
 a visit to the workplace prior to placing a young individual on work experience.
Work Providers (WP) are UCL Departments/Institutes which provide work experience for
individuals under the age of 18. The WP will appoint a supervisor who in addition to the
requirements set out in the previous section relating to young people (page 1), will ensure that:









for the purposes of insurance UCL Finance Division must be informed that a young
individual is on work experience, contact June Campbell, ext 53059;
they have the contact details of the WO;
they are provided with information relating to the WEP who may be at greater risk because
of health or learning difficulties;
the significant findings of the risk assessment are communicated to the Work Organiser
and the Young Person before the start date, and
the significant findings of the risk assessment are documented and the control measures
implemented;
a work plan is documented and communicated to the WO and the WEP;
safety induction is documented according to the checklist (page 3);
the WEP is informed of areas and activities which are prohibited;
the following records are kept:
work plan;
risk assessment;
induction checklist; (page 3)
training given and information provided.
Safety Services Reference(s):
Work experience
First Published
Revised
Revised
June 2001
June 2007
January 2010
Safety Services
2
Work Experience Induction Checklist
Name of Inductee:
Department:
Induction conducted by:
Duration of Work Experience
Date:
Start:
Finish:
Induction Topics:
Safety Documentation Issued:
 Statement of Safety Policy
 Work Plan
 Risk Assessment
 Code of Practice
Y/N
Additional Information
First Aid Arrangements:
 Name and location of first aiders
 Location of nearest first aid box
 Accident reporting procedures
Fault Reporting:
 Building maintenance
 Equipment
Security Arrangements:
 Day-to-day
 Out-of-hours
Introduction to Safety Staff:
 Departmental Safety Officer
 Other (state role)
Training and Instruction:
 Local Fire Safety Induction mandatory
See: Fire Technical Note No:86
Y
Conducted by:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/maintenance/fire/doc
uments/UCLFire_TN_086.pdf
Append a copy to this document
 Work specific induction
how to operate equipment, how to carry
out specific techniques or tasks
Conducted by:
Detail:
 Personal Protective Equipment
provision, use and storage
Detail:
Inductee Declaration
I agree to abide by the information, training and
instruction I have received, specified in this checklist
Signature:
Supervisor/Manager
Signature:
Name:
Safety Services
3