OHS: Young Workers, Temporary Staff, and Vulnerable Employees: Extra Safety Considerations

August 03, 2026•13 min read

Article #21 of #25 in the Occupational Health and Safety Series

Phase 2: Practical Health and Safety Topics

Introduction

Not every employee enters the workplace with the same level of experience, confidence, physical ability, or understanding of risk. Some workers need more guidance, closer supervision, or extra support because they are new to work, unfamiliar with the environment, still learning the job, or facing circumstances that make them more vulnerable to harm. This is especially important in small businesses, where teams are often busy, training is informal, and new employees are expected to “learn as they go.” While that approach may work for some tasks, it can become dangerous when workers are exposed to hazards before they fully understand the risks or know how to protect themselves.

Young workers, temporary staff, part-time workers, interns, casual workers, newly appointed employees, and other vulnerable employees can all face higher health and safety risk if they are not managed properly. A young employee may want to impress the employer and may say yes to a task they do not fully understand. A temporary worker may not know the site rules, emergency procedures, or who to report hazards to. A newly hired driver may not understand the company’s loading procedures. A cleaner working after hours may be alone in an unfamiliar building. A worker with limited literacy or limited English may not fully understand written instructions or warning labels. An employee returning after a long absence may need a refresher on safety procedures. A pregnant employee or a worker with a physical limitation may need certain tasks adjusted to reduce risk. These are all situations where extra care may be needed.

This does not mean vulnerable employees are weak or incapable. It means that employers should recognise that some workers may be more exposed to harm because of inexperience, unfamiliarity, communication barriers, physical limitations, age, health considerations, or the nature of their work arrangement. If a business treats every worker exactly the same without considering these differences, it may miss important safety risks. The goal is not to isolate or stigmatise people. The goal is to make sure that everyone has a fair and realistic chance to work safely.

For South African small businesses, this is an important part of occupational health and safety. Employers have a responsibility to provide information, instruction, training, supervision, and a safe working environment. In practice, this often means recognising when a worker may need more than the standard induction or a quick verbal explanation. It may mean slowing down the training process, checking understanding, assigning a supervisor or mentor, adjusting duties temporarily, or making sure the worker is not placed in a high-risk situation too early.

In this article, we will look at who may be considered a vulnerable employee in a small business context, why these workers may face extra risk, and what practical steps employers can take to protect them without making the workplace overly complicated.

Who Might Be Considered a Vulnerable Employee?

The term vulnerable employee can include many different people depending on the workplace and the work being done. In a small business, it may include:

young workers with little or no work experience
interns, trainees, and apprentices
temporary, casual, seasonal, or part-time workers
newly hired employees still learning the workplace
workers placed through labour brokers or staffing agencies
employees with limited literacy or limited English
workers returning after a long absence
employees with physical limitations or reduced mobility
pregnant employees where certain tasks may create added risk
employees who are unfamiliar with the equipment, site, or type of work
workers who are isolated, unsupervised, or working in unusual hours or locations

The exact group will vary from one business to another. The key point is that some workers may need more support because they are more likely to misunderstand a hazard, make a mistake, or be exposed to risks they are not ready to manage alone.

Why These Workers May Face Higher Risk

There are several reasons why young, temporary, or vulnerable workers may be injured more easily than experienced staff if proper controls are not in place.

1. They may not recognise hazards quickly

An experienced employee may immediately notice that a floor is slippery, a ladder is unsafe, a machine guard is missing, or a customer situation is becoming dangerous. A new or inexperienced worker may not recognise the same warning signs.

2. They may not know the workplace rules

A temporary worker or new employee may not know:

which areas are restricted
where PPE is stored
how to report a hazard
what to do during an emergency
which supervisor to contact
which tasks they are not allowed to perform without permission

3. They may be afraid to ask questions

Young workers and temporary staff often want to appear capable. They may worry that asking too many questions will make them look slow, weak, or unsuitable for the job. As a result, they may continue with a task they do not fully understand.

4. They may be given the less desirable or more physically demanding tasks

Temporary or lower-status workers are sometimes asked to do cleaning, lifting, stock movement, repetitive tasks, or work in isolated areas. These jobs can involve real safety risks if not managed properly.

5. Communication barriers may affect understanding

If an employee struggles with written English, technical terms, or complex instructions, they may misunderstand important safety information unless it is explained clearly and checked properly.

6. They may have physical or health-related limitations that affect certain tasks

A worker with a mobility issue, reduced strength, pregnancy-related limitations, or another physical challenge may need certain duties adjusted to reduce unnecessary risk.

Young Workers: Why Extra Care Is Important

Young workers often bring energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn. However, they may also be more likely to:

underestimate risk
act quickly without thinking through the danger
copy unsafe behaviour from others
hesitate to question a supervisor
overexert themselves physically
take shortcuts to impress others or finish faster

A young worker in a workshop, retail storeroom, kitchen, cleaning team, delivery environment, or technical services business may be exposed to hazards such as lifting, chemicals, hot surfaces, ladders, electricity, sharp tools, vehicles, or customer aggression. If they are not trained properly and supervised closely at the beginning, the risk of injury increases significantly.

Temporary and Casual Staff: The “Just for Today” Trap

One of the biggest risks with temporary and casual workers is the assumption that they do not need the same level of induction or support because they are “only here for a short time.” This is a dangerous mindset.

A temporary worker still needs to know:

what hazards exist in the workplace
what PPE is required
what emergency procedures apply
who they report to
what tasks they may or may not do
what to do if something goes wrong

A person working for one day can still be seriously injured on that first day. The length of the contract does not reduce the business’s safety responsibilities.

New Employees and Workers Returning After Absence

A worker does not have to be young or temporary to need extra support. A newly hired employee may come with years of experience from another employer but still not know your business, your site, your equipment, your customers, or your safety procedures.

Similarly, an employee returning after a long absence, illness, injury, maternity leave, or extended time away may need a refresher on:

emergency procedures
site changes
new equipment
changed workflows
updated PPE or safety rules

Do not assume that someone automatically remembers everything or can simply “pick up where they left off.”

Workers with Language, Literacy, or Learning Barriers

In South Africa, many small businesses employ people from different language backgrounds and with different education levels. This is normal, but it has important safety implications. A worker may nod politely during induction and still not fully understand the instructions. They may not understand a chemical label, a lockout warning, a written checklist, or a detailed policy document.

This is why safety communication should be practical and clear. Businesses should use:

plain language
demonstrations
visual signs where helpful
translated explanations where possible
questions to check understanding
repeated reinforcement, not just one-time instruction

A safety rule that is not understood is not an effective safety rule.

Pregnancy, Physical Limitations, and Task Suitability

Some employees may need temporary or ongoing adjustments because certain tasks create extra risk for them. Examples might include:

heavy lifting
long periods of standing
climbing ladders
exposure to chemicals
working in high heat
working in cramped positions
physically aggressive customer-facing situations
fast-moving vehicle areas

The aim is not to remove capable employees from work unnecessarily. The aim is to consider whether the task remains safe for that person in their current situation and whether practical adjustments can reduce the risk.

High-Risk Situations Where Vulnerable Workers Need Extra Protection

Extra care is especially important if the worker is involved in:

driving or delivery work
operating machinery or power tools
manual handling and lifting
work at height
chemical handling
electrical work
food preparation or hot surfaces
working alone
customer-facing roles with potential conflict
late-night or isolated work
cleaning hazardous areas or waste

These are not tasks that should be handed to a vulnerable worker casually with a quick explanation and no follow-up.

Practical Safety Controls for Young, Temporary, and Vulnerable Workers

1. Give a proper induction before work starts

Every worker should receive a basic induction that covers:

the main hazards in the workplace
emergency procedures
first aid and fire arrangements
reporting lines
PPE requirements
restricted areas and unsafe equipment
incident and hazard reporting

The induction does not need to be long and complicated, but it must be clear and relevant.

2. Explain the job step by step, not only once

A vulnerable worker may need more than a quick verbal instruction. Demonstrate the task, explain the risks, show the safe method, and check whether the person can repeat the process correctly.

3. Supervise more closely at the beginning

New and vulnerable workers should not be left alone too quickly in risky environments. Close supervision at the start helps correct unsafe habits before they become normal.

4. Encourage questions and make it safe to speak up

Employees should know that asking for help is not a sign of failure. A worker who is afraid to ask questions is more likely to make a dangerous mistake.

5. Match the task to the person

Think carefully before assigning physically demanding, technically complex, or high-risk tasks. Ask whether the worker is actually ready, trained, and physically suited for that task.

6. Use simple communication and check understanding

Do not assume that “I explained it” means “they understood it.” Ask the employee to show you, tell you, or demonstrate the safe process back to you.

7. Review work after changes or incidents

If the worker struggles, makes repeated mistakes, returns after absence, or is involved in an incident or near miss, do not just warn them and move on. Reassess the training, supervision, and suitability of the task.

Supervisors Play a Key Role

In small businesses, supervisors and owners often know their staff personally and can spot problems early if they pay attention. Warning signs that a worker may need more support include:

repeated confusion about instructions
unsafe shortcuts
reluctance to ask questions
visible nervousness around equipment or customers
repeated minor incidents or near misses
physical difficulty with the task
signs that the worker is overwhelmed or rushing

A good supervisor does not simply assume the worker is careless. They ask whether the person actually understood the task, had enough training, and was ready for the responsibility.

Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make

1. Assuming common sense is enough

A worker who has never done the task before may not see the risk the way an experienced person does.

2. Giving temporary staff less training because they are “only here for a short time”

Short-term workers still need proper safety information and supervision.

3. Expecting young workers to learn by copying others

If they copy bad habits, the business creates new safety problems.

4. Ignoring communication barriers

A polite “yes” does not always mean the employee has understood.

5. Treating all workers as equally ready for the same tasks

Equal treatment does not always mean identical treatment. Some workers need more support to work safely.

6. Leaving vulnerable workers alone too soon

This is especially risky in customer-facing, technical, driving, and hazardous environments.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Young worker in a storeroom

A young employee is asked to move stock using a ladder and carry heavy boxes without proper instruction. The business should provide manual handling guidance, ladder safety instruction, and supervision before allowing the task to continue.

Example 2: Temporary cleaner in an office block

A temporary cleaner starts after hours and is told only to “clean the bathrooms and kitchen.” If they are not shown chemical safety procedures, wet floor controls, alarm arrangements, and emergency contacts, the business has left major gaps in safety.

Example 3: New technician on client sites

A newly hired technician joins a field team and is sent alone to a customer site after only one day of shadowing. If the work involves ladders, electrical components, tools, customer interaction, and driving, the employee may need a longer period of supervised work before being left alone.

Final Thoughts

Young workers, temporary staff, and vulnerable employees can be valuable members of a small business, but they often face greater safety risk if employers assume they can simply “figure it out as they go.” Inexperience, unfamiliarity, communication barriers, physical limitations, temporary work arrangements, and the desire to impress can all increase the chance of mistakes, unsafe decisions, or missed hazards. That is why these workers often need extra attention, not because they are incapable, but because the workplace may expose them to risks they are not yet ready to manage alone.

For South African small businesses, the most practical approach is to identify who may need extra support and then build that support into the way work is assigned and supervised. This means giving a proper induction, explaining tasks clearly, checking understanding, supervising more closely at the beginning, and making sure the worker is not pushed into high-risk tasks before they are ready. It also means recognising that vulnerability is not only about age. A temporary worker, a returning employee, a person with limited literacy, or someone with physical limitations may also need additional protection.

A business that takes these differences seriously creates a safer workplace for everyone. It reduces injuries, improves confidence, supports better performance, and shows employees that safety is not reserved only for experienced staff. It is part of how the business treats every person who works there.

In the next article, we will look at heat, sun, and outdoor work safety, including dehydration, UV exposure, protective clothing, scheduling, and practical ways to protect outdoor workers in South African conditions.