A new survey of young workers reveals almost four in ten respondents (39.8%) received no safety training when they started a new job while more than half (50.2%) never had their work health and safety (WHS) rights explained to them.
Unions NSW, which conducted the survey, said it revealed a dangerously lax attitude to safety among employers.
"Parents, employers, and policymakers should be concerned. But most importantly, young workers need to hear this message: if your boss is not giving you safety training or explaining your rights, they are dicing with death," said Unions NSW Campaigns Officer, Caitlin Marlor.
"We have major housing, energy and infrastructure projects underway and hundreds of thousands of additional young people starting work every year.
"They are at the frontline of NSW's growth and if they're not being told their rights, properly trained or shown where to get help that is a massive problem.
"Over a third (33.8%) of respondents said they have felt unsafe in their workplace in the past 12 months. Many of these people are in their first jobs and are eager to impress and less likely to speak up. If our economy is growing, our safety education needs to grow with it."
Alarmingly only about a third (29%) of respondents said they had received clear and useful WHS training.
The survey also found workplace safety education outside of employment settings is lacking, with more than half (51.3%) of young workers saying they had never received WHS training at school, TAFE, university or in a community setting.
Unions NSW is calling for the NSW Government to urgently commence work on a dedicated safety strategy for young workers similar to those in place in other Australian states.
"Victoria and Queensland have both made significant government investment in young worker safety programs, recognising that education and support before something goes wrong is simply common sense," Ms Marlor said.
"These programs are practical, preventative, and act as a lifeline for young people experiencing unsafe conditions in the workplace.
"NSW is set to grow by almost two million people over the next 20 years - that's a massive expansion of our workforce and young workers are a huge part of it.
"Injuries, trauma and unsafe workplaces carry enormous human and economic costs. No young person should start their working life unsure of their rights or whether they'll come home safe at the end of their shift," she said.
The 'Young Workers' Safety at Work Survey' was conducted by Unions NSW between 2 and 13 February 2026 of 338 workers aged 26 and under.
