Keeping young workers safe from hazards in their work places

[Photo: Courtesy]

Joshua Ruto (not his real name), a 16-year-old farmhand, lost his right hand in a chaff cutter accident that occurred on his first day of using the machine. The cutter was electric and was used for chopping maize stalks for use as animal feed.

As Ruto was feeding the chaff cutter, he pushed his hand too far with the feed. His colleague heard him scream and shut off the machine. He had to get his hand amputated at the wrist. This scenario is repeated over and over again all across the world, resulting in disabilities and fatalities among young workers.