When this template fits
UK employers must carry out a specific risk assessment before a young person under 18 starts work or work experience, as required by Regulation 19 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; this assessment must account for their inexperience, immaturity and lack of awareness of workplace risks.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 8 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 9-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Additional risk assessment for workers under 18 (Management of H&S at Work Regs reg 19) — inexperience, immaturity, and prohibited/higher-risk work.
Sequence of works
- 1Before the young person starts work, confirm their age, obtain parental or guardian consent if under 16, and notify parents/guardians of significant risks as required.
- 2Complete a documented Young Persons Risk Assessment (YPRA) in accordance with Reg 19 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, covering inexperience, immaturity, physical development, and all tasks the young person may undertake.
- 3Identify and formally prohibit any work activities that are legally restricted for young persons or assessed as carrying unacceptable risk; record exclusions in writing on the YPRA.
- 4Have the completed YPRA reviewed and signed off by a competent H&S person before the young person commences any work activity.
- 5Assign a named, experienced supervisor responsible for the young person and brief them on the YPRA findings, prohibited tasks, and their supervisory responsibilities.
- 6Deliver a structured, age-appropriate induction covering: site rules, hazards, prohibited areas, emergency procedures, welfare facilities, and the young person's rights and responsibilities. Verify comprehension verbally.
- 7Issue appropriate PPE sized and fitted correctly for the young person. Provide training on correct use, storage, and reporting of defective PPE.
- 8Monitor the young person's performance, wellbeing, and compliance with controls through regular supervisor check-ins and documented reviews. Address any concerns immediately.
- 9Review and update the YPRA whenever the young person's role, tasks, or workplace changes, following any incident or near miss, and at least annually.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Inexperience leading to unsafe acts
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Young persons must not operate plant, mobile machinery, or powered equipment until a specific competency assessment confirms they are adequately trained and supervised. Where doubt exists, prohibit the activity.
- › Provide a documented induction covering site hazards, emergency procedures, and the specific task. Training must be tailored to the young person's maturity and comprehension level, verified by a competent person.
- › Assign a named, experienced supervisor responsible for the young person at all times. Supervision level must reflect assessed maturity and task risk; lone working must not be permitted.
Physical immaturity — manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Remove manual handling activities exceeding appropriate weight limits for young persons from their scope of work. Reassign to adult workers where practicable.
- › Provide sack trucks, pallet trucks, hoists, or other mechanical aids to reduce or eliminate manual lifting and carrying requirements for young persons.
- › Set lower individual load limits for young persons informed by their physical capability. Document agreed limits in the YPRA and brief the young person and their supervisor.
Psychological immaturity — peer pressure and risk-taking
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Brief young persons explicitly that they are empowered and expected to stop work, refuse unsafe tasks, and report near misses without fear of blame. Document this in the YPRA.
- › Supervisors conduct regular informal welfare and safety check-ins with the young person to identify peer pressure, bullying, or unsafe practice at an early stage.
Exposure to prohibited or high-risk work
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Conduct the YPRA before the young person starts work. Identify and formally exclude all activities prohibited for young persons under relevant legislation. Record exclusions in writing.
- › Have the completed YPRA reviewed and signed off by a competent H&S professional before the young person starts work. Where prohibited work is uncertain, seek legal or specialist advice.
- › Use permit systems, physical barriers, or site zoning to prevent young persons from inadvertently entering or being directed to prohibited or high-hazard areas.
Failure to communicate risk information effectively
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Adapt briefings, induction materials, and risk information to suit the comprehension level of the young person. Use visual aids, demonstrations, and check for understanding verbally rather than relying solely on written signatures.
- › Where the young person is of school age (under 16, e.g. work experience), notify parents or guardians of the significant risks identified in the YPRA and the controls in place before work commences.
Physical fatigue from unsuitable working hours or conditions
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Ensure working hours comply with the Working Time Regulations as applied to young workers. Schedule adequate rest breaks and monitor for signs of fatigue throughout the working day.
- › Young workers (under 18) must not undertake night work except in specific limited circumstances. Exclude young persons from extended overtime shifts that could cause excessive fatigue.
Inadequate welfare and emergency awareness
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Include location of first aid, emergency assembly points, emergency contact numbers, and welfare facilities in the induction. Confirm understanding before the young person begins work.
- › Assign a named buddy or first-aider who knows the young person and can assist them in an emergency. Ensure the young person has emergency contact numbers accessible at all times.
Health surveillance and pre-employment health screening
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Complete a confidential pre-employment health questionnaire relevant to the tasks and hazards identified in the YPRA. Use outcomes to adjust task allocation and controls. Seek occupational health advice where conditions are identified.
- › Supervisors monitor the young person's health and wellbeing regularly. Any health concerns must trigger a review of the YPRA and, where necessary, referral to occupational health.
Competence
- ✓ Operators trained and competent in the equipment and task, and briefed on this risk assessment before use
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Personal protective equipment sized and fitted for younger workers
- › Restricted access controls for prohibited machinery or hazardous areas
- › Induction records and signed acknowledgement of risk information
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ All tasks prohibited for young persons under Regulation 19 (work beyond physical or psychological capacity, exposure to carcinogens/radiation, extreme temperature or noise) have been identified and excluded or controlled
- ✓ Supervision arrangements are proportionate to the level of experience and the RA has been shared with the young person and, where applicable, their parent or guardian before they start
- ✓ The RA is reviewed whenever the young person's role or tasks change, and at least annually if employment continues past their 18th birthday
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Who should write a young persons risk assessment RAMS?
Someone competent to plan the work — usually the contractor doing the job or their supervisor. A template like this gives you the recognised hazards and controls for young persons risk assessment, but the person signing it off must review it as the competent person and confirm it matches the actual site and method.
How long is the RAMS valid for?
Until something changes — there's no fixed expiry in law. Review it if the method, site conditions, equipment or people change, after any incident or near miss, and at sensible intervals on longer jobs. Date the review and re-brief the team.
What regulations apply to young persons risk assessment?
PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3 are the main ones. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.