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It is easier to say no, but it misses the point & purpose. We had the son of one my guys come work for us during various holidays.
Officially its age dependant and requires a bit of form filling from school / councils education dept (permit) relating to care of the young for work experience with restrictions on what they can do.
They can't use some tools, so that helps limit issues. The restrictions are legal and reflected in basic RAs and your PLI will need updating/notified.
There's a good HSE briefing document around.
My view - it's worth the hassle.
Nb - One of guys came via this route - school work experience, then joined us, went to college via our support and got his NCH. He is now a Team Lead and very much valued.
John, We constantly get asked, we always politely decline.
It's very unfortunate we live in such a litigious society so young willing people are unable to experience the real world.
The primary reason for us declining is the PL issues, it's not just the risk of them injuring themselves but them injuring someone else, also you'll need eyes everywhere when you should be concentrating on your own work.
I would not consider it if I were you
You need to have Risk Assesments and PL insurance in place.
I really enjoy bringing young people into horticulture and I would welcome the opportunity
If you feel that you would like to do it, then do it. If the lad isn’t using machinery that is risky and is a good lad whose family you know and trust, then all well and good.
It’s very sad that we find ourselves living in a world where the trend is that there can be no risk at all. Just look at the postponement of ‘freedom day’.
When I had my second jab a few weeks ago the nurse said that she had to warn me about the possibility of blood clots. She said though that the risk was about 7 in one million and did I still want to go ahead with the second jab. I said of course I did, I wouldn’t have come otherwise and that none of us can live without risk stating that ‘I have driven seven miles to get the jab. I could have been involved in a car crash on the way’.
We can either cower under the kitchen table, avoiding even the slightest of risks, never driving anywhere, never meeting anyone in case they have a cold, never going to a concert, a pub, a restaurant, never stepping onto an aeroplane, a train or travelling anywhere. Never doing anything in case of the slightest chance of a problem.
Or we can live life, go out, do things, meet friends, travel and let young lads come and have some really worthwhile work experience, you know, like we always used to do before we were all suddenly too afraid to step through the door.
If it ever came to being so afraid of any possible problems, then none of us would ever use a strimmer again. It there anything potentially more prone to causing damage or injury?
Let the lad come and be educated and maybe even inspired.