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Managing effective apprentice programs is central to addressing the challenges posed by an aging workforce and skill shortages in the construction industry. However, the appeal of construction apprentice programs has declined among the youth. Research showed that young workers could face higher occupational health and safety (OHS) risks in the construction industry, which could be perceived as barriers to attracting and retaining them in construction apprentice programs. Curtailing OHS risks is therefore imperative to sustaining apprentice programs. However, there is limited evidence on vulnerable trades, predominant incident mechanisms, and injury types concerning OHS risk for apprentices. Workers' compensation data related to construction apprentices between 2008 and 2019 (12 years), were empirically analyzed. Despite the overconcern, the incident proportion of 7% for construction apprentices was lower than their representation of 11% in the workforce. Thirteen fatalities have occurred for the period, and predominant mechanisms were vehicle incidents, electrocution, and fall from a height. Additionally, a range of musculoskeletal diseases due to muscular stress was responsible for permanent incapacities among apprentices. Apprentices who trained as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, and structural steel workers were more vulnerable to fatalities and permanent incapacities. The findings offer practical insights for a focused and optimized OHS management scheme for regaining and improving the appeal of construction apprentice programs. Although the findings and the insights drawn thereof are specific to Australia, these may also apply to other countries where construction apprentice programs are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Hairdressers are one of the largest occupational groups attending our Occupational Dermatology Clinic. However, few seek workers' compensation for their occupational dermatitis. Objectives. To retrospectively analyse and compare workers' compensation claims data and diagnosed disease data for occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers from 1993 to 2009, for the state of Victoria, Australia. Patients/materials/methods. Data from the Occupational Dermatology Clinic database, the Compensation Research Database and the Australian Bureau of Statistics were used in this study. Results. The clinic database identified 157 hairdressers and apprentices with a confirmed diagnosis of occupational contact dermatitis assessed between 1993 and 2009. Forty-six unique claims for occupational contact dermatitis from 46 individuals were identified from the Compensation Research Database over the same time period. Hairdressers in the 15-24-year age group were significantly over-represented in the claims data relative to the diagnosed disease data ( p < 0.01). The median cost per claim was AU$1421, and the median time off work per claim was 20 days. Conclusion. Increased efforts are needed to reduce the incidence of occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers in Australia, and to ensure that hairdressers with occupational contact dermatitis are aware of their compensation entitlements. Reliance on workers' compensation data for disease surveillance may lead occupational health and safety regulators to underestimate the magnitude of the problem of occupational contact dermatitis in the hairdressing profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]