Warning re safety of schoolchildren during holidays

6/4/94

Keep children out of the workplace during the school holidays - particularly construction sites, factories and farms.

That was the message from Labour Relations Minister Graham Kierath who said today too many children were still being injured at workplaces.

To demonstrate his point, the Minister gave some examples of injuries to children. These included:

·       two 15-year-olds who were seriously injured when an elevation work platform on which they were riding collapsed;

·       a 12-year-old boy whose foot was amputated by a lawn aerator on a golf course;

·       a 10-year-old boy who sustained head injuries after falling from the back of a truck at a factory;

·       a 12-year-old farm girl who received serious burns to her leg from the exhaust pipe of a motorcycle; and -

·       numerous cuts and broken bones suffered by children tripping over rubble on building sites.

"There have been deaths both here and in other parts of Australia with children on work sites," Mr Kierath said.

"I urge parents to avoid taking children to work with them and carefully consider giving them permission to accompany another adult to a safe workplace.

"We are particularly concerned about construction sites as they present an array of dangerous situations for children.

"The machinery used on these sites is extremely dangerous when handled by untrained persons and the majority of construction sites will have additional hazards such as building rubble and many unstable areas.

"Workplaces with machinery, heavy stored goods, hazardous substances or construction materials should always be out of bounds to children."

The risks were also great on farms and in rural situations because work areas were usually close to the family home.

In fact, more than half the children injured in workplaces in Western Australia had accidents on farms or on primary production sites.

"During holidays, extra care is needed for the safety of children living in or visiting the country," Mr Kierath said.

"This includes orchards, market gardens, grain silos, stock yards and timber mills, as well as farms.

"Farm equipment and machinery - tractors in particular - can be especially dangerous and great care is needed around them."

Media contact:   Brian Coulter 222 9595 or 481 2133