Training on Improving Safety and Health Protection for Young Workers’ (15-17) held for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Labour Inspectors
A two-day ILO-IPEC training workshop was organized for safety and health labour inspectors and senior staff of the Occupational Safety and Health Bureau (BOSH), under the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW). The workshop was organized as a capacity building activity to train government officials on the link between protecting young workers (15-17) from hazardous child labour and promoting positive youth employment through positive workplace health and safety conditions
A two-day ILO-IPEC training workshop was organized for safety and health labour inspectors and senior staff of the Occupational Safety and Health Bureau (BOSH), under the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW). The workshop was organized as a capacity building activity to train government officials on the link between protecting young workers (15-17) from hazardous child labour and promoting positive youth employment through positive workplace health and safety conditions.
In Thailand, ‘children’ and ‘youth’ share an overlapping age bracket between the ages of 15 - 17. According to ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age for Employment, those within this age bracket, having attained the minimum age for employment (14-15+ years of age, depending on the country) are free to work so long as their work doesn’t engage them in ‘hazardous child labour.’
“If health and safety inspectors can help employers cultivate good workplace safety and health conditions, then a ‘child’ can be legally employed there earning money and learning skills as a ‘young worker.’ OSH labour inspectors can help promote youth employment and at the same time eliminate hazardous child labour” explained Mr Tuomo Poutiainen, the ILO-IPEC Thailand Programme Manager. “People know little of OSH inspectors work. I think it’s important to let them know more about it and explain the important role they have to address child labour and improve working conditions” he added.
The official international definition of hazardous child labour differentiates between work which by its nature can harm the health, safety or morals of children and work which by the circumstances it is carried out in can harm the health, safety or morals of children. Work which harms children’s’ health, safety or morals through its nature is addressed through the Hazardous Work List. Work which is hazardous for children by virtue of its circumstances are addressed through helping employers improve their workplaces health and safety conditions through risk assessments, promoting OSH management systems, introducing a culture of safety and health at work and using campaigns and awareness raising activities to drive positive changes.
Special considerations on how to address hazardous child labour in hard to reach areas, such as agriculture, fishing, informal economy and small to medium enterprises (SME) workplaces were also covered in the training.
In his opening remarks, Mr Damrong Premsawad, Executive Director of the OSH Bureau and recently appointed DLPW Inspector-General stated that “we are one with the global family in promoting the safety and health of all workers, including young workers.” In his remarks he referenced the joint technical work between ILO-IPEC and the BOSH on developing useful tools to protect young workers. “There has been remarkable progress in developing countermeasures. The OSH Bureau has drafted Guidelines on the Protection of Young Workers, including the joint planning of special activities for the shrimp and seafood processing sector in 2014 together with ILO-IPEC.”
The training seminar included a joint planning session for safety and health campaigns and awareness raising activities for 2014. All sessions were recorded and streamed live through the DLPW website.
New labour officials oriented on child labour.
On the 12th of December, the ILO-IPEC shrimp sector project also participated in a general BOSH orientation and training of some 300 new labour officials. Mr Tuomo Poutiainen from ILO-IPEC took centre stage to discuss ILO-IPEC’s work in Thailand and fielded questions on child labour, OSH and migrant workers rights.
In particular, issues related to child care and access to education for migrant workers’ children were raised. What migrants can do to exercise freedom of association and discrimination issues were also discussed.
As part of this discussion, Mr Poutiainen emphasized the very important role that labour inspectors have, both as enforcers and as officials providing advice to employers and workers on appropriate conditions. They are the first point of contact and on the frontlines when it comes to preventing child labour and ensuring safe and decent conditions for young workers.
In Thailand, ‘children’ and ‘youth’ share an overlapping age bracket between the ages of 15 - 17. According to ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age for Employment, those within this age bracket, having attained the minimum age for employment (14-15+ years of age, depending on the country) are free to work so long as their work doesn’t engage them in ‘hazardous child labour.’
“If health and safety inspectors can help employers cultivate good workplace safety and health conditions, then a ‘child’ can be legally employed there earning money and learning skills as a ‘young worker.’ OSH labour inspectors can help promote youth employment and at the same time eliminate hazardous child labour” explained Mr Tuomo Poutiainen, the ILO-IPEC Thailand Programme Manager. “People know little of OSH inspectors work. I think it’s important to let them know more about it and explain the important role they have to address child labour and improve working conditions” he added.
The official international definition of hazardous child labour differentiates between work which by its nature can harm the health, safety or morals of children and work which by the circumstances it is carried out in can harm the health, safety or morals of children. Work which harms children’s’ health, safety or morals through its nature is addressed through the Hazardous Work List. Work which is hazardous for children by virtue of its circumstances are addressed through helping employers improve their workplaces health and safety conditions through risk assessments, promoting OSH management systems, introducing a culture of safety and health at work and using campaigns and awareness raising activities to drive positive changes.
Special considerations on how to address hazardous child labour in hard to reach areas, such as agriculture, fishing, informal economy and small to medium enterprises (SME) workplaces were also covered in the training.
In his opening remarks, Mr Damrong Premsawad, Executive Director of the OSH Bureau and recently appointed DLPW Inspector-General stated that “we are one with the global family in promoting the safety and health of all workers, including young workers.” In his remarks he referenced the joint technical work between ILO-IPEC and the BOSH on developing useful tools to protect young workers. “There has been remarkable progress in developing countermeasures. The OSH Bureau has drafted Guidelines on the Protection of Young Workers, including the joint planning of special activities for the shrimp and seafood processing sector in 2014 together with ILO-IPEC.”
The training seminar included a joint planning session for safety and health campaigns and awareness raising activities for 2014. All sessions were recorded and streamed live through the DLPW website.
New labour officials oriented on child labour.
On the 12th of December, the ILO-IPEC shrimp sector project also participated in a general BOSH orientation and training of some 300 new labour officials. Mr Tuomo Poutiainen from ILO-IPEC took centre stage to discuss ILO-IPEC’s work in Thailand and fielded questions on child labour, OSH and migrant workers rights.
In particular, issues related to child care and access to education for migrant workers’ children were raised. What migrants can do to exercise freedom of association and discrimination issues were also discussed.
As part of this discussion, Mr Poutiainen emphasized the very important role that labour inspectors have, both as enforcers and as officials providing advice to employers and workers on appropriate conditions. They are the first point of contact and on the frontlines when it comes to preventing child labour and ensuring safe and decent conditions for young workers.