Boy badly hurt in workplace fall in Napier is 14 years old

A rescue helicopter leaves the scene after it was decided the injured teen could be taken to hospital by ambulance. Photo / Warren Buckland

Government workplace safety agency WorkSafe says it cannot yet comment after a 14-year-old boy was seriously injured in a fall at a workplace in Napier on Monday.

The boy's age was confirmed to Hawke's Bay Today by police, who attended the Pandora Rd scene soon after St John Ambulance took the teenager to Hawke's Bay Hospital in Hastings late on Monday morning.

Although the boy was later that day reported to be in a serious condition, Hawke's Bay DHB staff said on Tuesday afternoon he was in a stable condition in a ward.

Police said the inquiry had been handed to WorkSafe.

Asked for comment on the risks with large numbers of young people starting holiday job or fulltime work, WorkSafe pointed Hawke's Bay Today to a Young People at Work page on its website, but stressed the information did not specifically relate to Monday's accident.

"Young workers are at risk of workplace injury and illness because of their lack of work experience and limited awareness of risks," the page says.

Alerting staff to raise issues with employers if they feel unsafe, the page continued:

"Young people are often unfamiliar with workplace hazards and safety procedures, including their rights regarding working conditions.

"They can be overly keen to please, or over-confident in their capabilities, and reluctant to ask questions or speak out about problems."

"It's your boss' job to make sure that you have a safe place to work," it says. "It's your job to speak up if you feel unsafe."

WorkSafe says workers under 15 years old can't be in areas that involve manufacturing, construction, logging or tree felling, or hazardous substances, and can't work with machinery, drive a vehicle, or ride on a vehicle with something attached, such as a trailer.

The inquiry includes what the boy was doing on the site.