The majority of employers are prejudiced against younger workers when it comes to workplace safety, according to research by health & safety experts Croner.

It found that six in 10 employers said that younger workers are more likely to take risks at work compared to older colleagues. Almost as many (54%) said that younger people are more likely to cause workplace accidents, (only 27% disagreed, with 19% of no opinion).

The research found that older workers are by far considered a safer bet, as over half surveyed (51%) think younger workers need more supervision, with only 34% believing they don’t, and 15% sitting on the fence.

And it seems that employers do not see old age as a major factor in physical ability, with 63% confident that older workers are just as capable of carrying out physical tasks. Only 18% disagreed, with a further 19% holding a neutral view.

Nasar Farooq, safety technical manager at Croner, says: “What is surprising and refreshing to see in this research is the confidence our survey respondents have in older workers’ physical abilities. This reflects in-depth Health & Safety Executive research which indicates that people are not necessarily any more likely to be physically or mentally infirm because of their age. However we want employers to have confidence in all their workers, as employees at different stages in their lives can bring qualities to the workforce which enable the organisation to be more productive.

“Myths and stereotypes about age must be directly countered through education and training of the workforce,” Farooq added.

Croner advises that potential risks associated with carrying out a workplace task should be assessed based on the demands of the actual activity, unless the employee is under the age of 18 when there are specific requirements on the employer to assess the employee and not the task.