Citation

Holte KA, Kjestveit K. Work 2012; 41: 4137-4141.

Affiliation

Department of Social science and business development, International Research Institute of Stavanger, Box 6840, 4068 Stavanger, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, IOS Press)

DOI

10.3233/WOR-2012-0709-4137

PMID

22317356

Abstract

Studies have found that young workers are at risk for injuries. The risk for accidents is high within construction, indicating that young workers may be especially vulnerable in this industry. In Norway, it is possible to enter the construction industry as a full time worker at the age of 18. The aim of this paper was to explore how young construction workers are received at their workplace with regards to OHS-training. The study was designed as a qualitative case study. Each case consisted of a young worker or apprentice (< 25 years), a colleague, the immediate superior, the OHS manager, and a safety representative in the company. The interviews were recorded and analyzed through content analysis. The results showed that there were differences between large and small companies, where large companies had more formalized routines and systems for receiving and training young workers. These routines were however more dependent on requirements set by legislators and contractors more than by company size, since the legislation has different requirements with impact on OHS.

Language: en