Hazards to young people at work

Apart from the danger of exposing young and immature bodies to health hazards, heavy loads, etc, there are also some special factors in the causation of industrial accidents that operate in respect of juveniles alone. These include ignorance of factory conditions and hazards; inexperience and natural curiosity; desire to prove oneself and show oneself to be "tough"; contempt for the safety-first principle; liability to fatigue; and boredom leading to "skylarking or horseplay". Also, the young worker or apprentice straight from school may constitute a source of cheap and readily exploitable labour.