Introduction to Fire Safety Management

15.24.15 Protection of young persons – 
regulation 19
Where employers employ young persons, they must 
ensure that they are protected from risks to their health 
and safety arising out of their lack of experience or the 
fact that they have not yet fully matured.
Young persons must not be employed for work:
➤
Which is beyond their physical or psychological 
capacity
➤
Involving harmful exposure to toxic or carcinogenic 
agents or those which cause heritable genetic dam-
age or harm
➤
Involving harmful exposure to radiation
➤
Involving the risk of accidents which may not be 
recognised or avoided by young persons owing to 
their insuffi cient attention to safety or lack of experi-
ence or training
➤
Where there is a risk to health from extreme heat or 
cold, noise or vibration.
The above should be taken into account in the risk 
assessment which should be reviewed with the above 
in mind.
15.24.16 Provision as to liability – regulation 21
Employers are not able to use an act or default by an 
employee or by a competent person as defence in any 
criminal proceedings for a breach of MHSWR. This does 
not affect the established duty on the employee to take 
reasonable care and to cooperate with their employer.
15.24.17 Exclusion of civil liability – regulation 22
A breach of these regulations shall not confer a right of 
action in any civil proceedings except where the duty is 
owed to:
➤
Women of child bearing age and their work could 
involve risk to the new or expectant mother or to her 
baby
➤
Young 
persons.
15.25
The Personal Protective 
Equipment Regulations 1992 
(SI 2966)
The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 
(PPE Regs) defi ne the term personal protective equip-
ment (PPE) as:
all equipment (including clothing affording pro-
tection against the weather) which is intended 

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