Impact of initial OSH training among the under-30s

A prospective cohort study was put in place with apprentices and students from seven education districts, enrolled in the final year of their studies for their vocational diplomas (CAP/BEP), vocational certificates (brevet professionnel), vocational baccalaureates, or higher vocational diplomas (BTS), in production or service specialities (inclusions from 2009 to 2012, and end of monitoring of the last one in 2014).

The inclusion questionnaire, filled in by the participants just before they graduated, questioned them about their schooling paths, and in particular the OSH teaching received. The monitoring or follow-up questionnaire, filled in every six months for two years, questioned them, among other things, about the characteristics of the job, the working conditions, and the conditions of arrival and induction in the company, and about any occurrence of accidents at work.

Of the 755 participants eligible for the study, 90% declared they had received OSH teaching. During the monitoring, the participants declared 1,290 jobs (1.7 jobs per participant on average). In 70% of cases, the job corresponded to the initial training. Also during the monitoring, 158 occupational accidents were reported by the participants or identified through the databases of the Occupational Health and Pension Insurance Funds (CARSATs), corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.12 [0.10-0.14] occupational accidents per participant-year. Half as high a risk of occupational accident was observed for participants who stated they had received OSH teaching during their schooling. A lower risk of occupational accident for the participants who had done the “occupational first aider” training was also observed. The conditions of induction on arrival in the company were not statistically associated with the occurrence of occupational accidents.

This longitudinal study made it possible to highlight a lower risk of occupational accident among young people who had received OSH teaching, and among young people who had done “occupational first aider” training. OSH teaching is given widely during studies for occupational qualifications, with an approach that is often broader than merely concentrating on the specific risks of the trade being learnt. Our results emphasise the utility of pursuing and of generalising this approach.

With the aim of providing continuation in OSH education (initial and further training throughout working life) it would be advantageous to pursue the assessment of overall OSH teaching strategies (developing prevention culture, facilitating ties between schools and companies), and the modes of inducting young people, or indeed newly hired people, that are put in place as of arrival in the company.