Children's time: teenagers will be allowed to work in hazardous industries
Teenagers may be allowed to work in heavy industries. Access to them will be granted from the age of 16. In particular, enterprises will be able to conclude contracts with minors for paid internships. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia has come up with a corresponding initiative. The Ministry' s proposal requires a cautious approach and additional study, as it carries health risks for young workers, experts believe. What is fraught with the admission of teenagers to harmful production - in the material "Izvestia".
Expanding horizons
The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to amend the government decree with the list of heavy work and work with harmful or hazardous working conditions, which prohibits the use of underage labor.
The press service of the Ministry told Izvestia that currently Article 265 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation prohibits the use of labor of minors under 18 years of age in jobs with harmful and (or) hazardous working conditions. The list includes underground work, carrying and moving heavy loads, as well as cases when the work may harm the health and moral development of adolescents.
Today they are not allowed to work in mines, mining and processing of mining and chemical raw materials, at enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, as well as in places of production and transmission of electricity and heat. They are prohibited from work related to well drilling and petrochemical production.
The existing procedure, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, does not take into account earlier terms of involving college students in industrial practice. Within the framework of the Professionality project launched in 2022, it starts as early as the first year of study.
- Industrial enterprises participating in the project note the limitations due to which they cannot conclude contracts with minors and attract students for paid internship, - emphasized in the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The modernization of workplaces at the enterprises, which took place over the last 20 years, is also not taken into account, the press service added.
To solve the problem, the Ministry proposes to amend the Labor Code, supplementing the relevant article with a provision that the employer may decide to use the labor of minors from the age of 16 on the jobs included in the list, if they have safe working conditions, confirmed by the results of certification of workplaces. A positive conclusion of the state expert examination of labor conditions and the state epidemiological supervision service of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation will also be required for a teenager to go to work.
An initiative with consequences
Without proper support, the initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade may have serious negative consequences, which cannot but cause deep concern, points out Maria Koleda, head of the information department of the independent trade union "New Labor". First of all, the concern is related to the high risk of occupational injuries among teenagers, she explains.
- Statistics show that young workers are most likely to experience injuries due to a lack of knowledge about safe working practices and low physical readiness for heavy tasks. Improper work performance is a path to accidents and injuries not only for the workers themselves, but also for those around them," says Izvestiya's interlocutor.
Maxim Kazarnovsky, director of the Moscow International Education Salon, believes that the Ministry of Industry and Trade's initiative is related to the problems in the Russian economy. Recently, there has been a serious shortage of personnel due to various objective reasons.
- Russia has practically cut off access of foreign labor force to its market and is looking for new sources of personnel. This initiative is connected with the need to compensate for the departure of qualified employees at the expense of less qualified ones. This is a complex and painful process, which can affect both the quality of production and the teenagers themselves, who are beginning their journey into adulthood," says the expert.
However, attracting minors to hazardous work will not solve the problem of staff shortage, Koleda warns. In her opinion, it would be more logical to focus on the creation of vocational training and internship programs for young people.
- This will allow young people to improve their knowledge and skills and, in the long term, close the shortage of professions requiring higher qualifications," she emphasizes.
Besides, the lack of proper training will inevitably lead to a decrease in the quality of work performed. And this will not only cause economic losses of enterprises, but also create a potential threat to others, summarizes Koleda
However, the proposal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade has positive sides, Kazarnovsky points out. The initiative is in line with the national project "Personnel", within the framework of which modern schoolchildren should adapt as quickly as possible to the economy of the XXI century. The realization of the Ministry's proposal, according to the expert, can become one of the tools to achieve the goal of this national project.
- Thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the vocational education system and parents, it is possible to create conditions for teenagers to participate in the production process. This will be useful from the point of view of both forming work experience among minors and contributing to the economy," Kazarnovsky believes.
With health risks
There is nothing surprising in the initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade: recently, working conditions at workplaces have been revised, and many industries that were previously considered harmful have been reclassified, recalls Svetlana Tsvetkova, a pediatrician of the highest category.
- Replacement of equipment, safer reagents and quality protective equipment improve working conditions and reduce the negative impact on the body. Accordingly, it would be advisable to increase the list of industries where minors are allowed to work," believes the Izvestia interlocutor.
Miners' self-rescuers
Tsvetkova singles out the development of independence and discipline, assumption of responsibility, the opportunity to decide on a future profession, the formation of financial literacy skills and financial support among the positive aspects of an early start of work.
However, there is a risk that the health of the growing body will cause irreparable damage, warns the pediatrician. Therefore, before employment, a teenager must necessarily undergo a medical examination. And until they reach the age of majority, medical examinations should be carried out annually.
Work at heavy industrial facilities can have a significant impact on the health of adolescents, confirms neonatologist, pediatrician Anna Pykhantseva. The body of minors is in the stage of active growth and development, which makes it more vulnerable to the effects of unfavorable factors.
First of all, it is fraught with diseases of the spine and joints, said Tsvetkova.
- During the period of active growth of the body, including the growth of bones, cartilage and ligaments, the impact of improper and too heavy loads can lead to poor posture, osteochondrosis and herniated discs. All of these diseases progress with age and often lead to disability," the doctor cautions.
In addition, the result of early labor can be a lag in weight and growth. This can be caused by the lack of proper nutrition necessary for the development of the body. And quick snacks and eating fast food can provoke problems with the gastrointestinal tract. They are the causes of the development of gastritis, gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. These diseases reduce the quality of life and increase the number of days of disability, indicates the pediatrician.
Another danger is injury, she adds. Due to poorly developed muscle corsets and lack of experience, teenagers are more likely than others to get injured at work - fractures, sprains, strains, and torn ligaments.
- In the absence of full rehabilitation, this can lead to chronic pain syndrome," the specialist does not rule out.
Inadequate working conditions, such as improper technique of performing tasks or lack of protective equipment, can aggravate all these problems, emphasizes Pykhantseva.
In addition, various chemicals and pollutants are often present at production facilities, the pediatrician notes. Long-term exposure to such substances can lead to various diseases, including respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
- Adolescents working in such environments may be particularly susceptible to these risks, as their immune systems are not yet fully developed," the doctor is convinced.
Psychological factor
Psychological aspects are also important, emphasizes Anna Pykhantseva. Working in harsh conditions can provoke stress, anxiety and mental disorders. Minors, in particular, may face pressure from employers and colleagues, which will have a negative impact on their emotional state.
- High levels of responsibility can cause them to become overwhelmed, especially if they feel the need to meet the expectations of employers or others," notes the pediatrician.
For this reason, it is very important that employers take into account the age and needs of adolescents, offering adequate working conditions and support, the doctor points out.
The team, which will come to work a minor, will have a huge impact on the teenager, specifies Svetlana Tsvetkova.
- The way his colleagues will treat him, can affect the formation of his self-esteem and the presence of bad habits. A teenager at work must have a mentor to whom he can turn for advice," says the Izvestia interviewee.
Inorder to preserve mental health and avoid burnout, a child needs to keep a balance between work, study and personal life, Pikhantseva insists.
In general, the negative impact on a teenager's body can be avoided. For this purpose, it is necessary to choose as a first job a production with confirmed workplace safety and sanitary and epidemiological service authorization, Tsvetkova believes.
However, the mechanisms for protecting minors are not very clear at the moment, Maria Koleda points out. Medical examinations before employment in this case will not be enough, because the health situation of adolescents must be monitored in dynamics, taking into account age changes.
- It is necessary to exclude any risks to the health and life of adolescents. We believe that the protection of workers' rights, especially of young people, should remain a priority for all stakeholders," summarizes the trade union representative.
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