Health and safety
Employers have a responsibility to ensure that every workplace is a safe place for all of their staff.
Students on a workplace experience should be treated with the same level of professionalism and care as regular employees. Students should know who to go to for support if any issues crop up, or if they are concerned with how they are being treated at work. Ensuring students are well advised of and abide by your organisation’s health and safety rules is important.
Remember, students who suffer an injury from an accident in the workplace will be covered by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) should they require treatment and rehabilitation.
Your responsibilities as an employer
- Provide an induction that outlines your organisation’s health and safety processes, including what to do in the event of a fire, an accident or incident. Highlight any specific hazards that the student may encounter in the workplace and ways to avoid them.
- Address any risks associated with the student’s specific role, and give relevant health and safety training.
- Provide a supervisor for the student, so they know who to contact regarding any health, safety and wellbeing issues.
- Comply with the latest health and safety legislation.
- Include the students in any risk assessments or activities that occur while they are in the workplace. Explain any risks and make sure students know how to avoid them.
- Show students how to use your system for recording and investigating accidents and incidents.
- Notify CDES immediately if a student experiences an accident or other health and safety incident while placed at your organisation.
- Inform CDES if the student seriously breaches your organisation’s policies, or does not attend work in the way they have agreed to.