Assignments & Worker Safety

We are committed to a motivating and rewarding work environment in collaborate on achieving it by setting goals with students, and the students are given reviews of their work at the end of the summer.

The Projects

The School of Work is an open-air school, and most of the school's assignments involve maintaining greenery and garden beds on both city land and institutional grounds in Reykjavik. Painting projects are mainly intended for students with plant allergies.

The main tools used for the work are various small hand tools for garden bed care, shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, as well as lawn mowers and grass trimmers.

We at the School of Work want to mention that we will continue increasing the diversity of jobs for students from grade 10. A part of the students who are interested in working on activities other than gardening and maintenance in the School's traditional group setting will be offered other jobs, including helping at preschools, in museums, and at other City workplaces.

It is not clear how many jobs will be available, or what the demand will be, but the time of enrollment will determine who will be chosen for these projects.

Goals

The goals of the founding of the School of Work in 1951 were to ensure that adolescents in Reykjavik had jobs during the summer to mature and instill in them general virtues such as orderliness, punctuality, and a sense of responsibility. These goals have changed little over the years.

Safety Issues, Risk Assessments & Worker Safety

The regulation governing the work of young people under the age of 18 requires emphasizing safety and that the mental and physical health of young people will not be endangered. At the same time, it ensures that the work does not have a disruptive effect on their education or development.

The School of Work operates according to a risk assessment specifying the possible hazards, both with regard to bodily stress and physical exertion and when working with machines or in exceptional circumstances. This leads to fewer accidents and injuries.

Students will also be trained in the application of tools and machines and given instructions regarding physical exertion.

  • All students working with lawnmowers and/or grass trimmers must wear appropriate safety equipment.
  • In cases where students work near traffic, they wear reflective vests.
  • A specific response plan is in place for injection needles that are found in the City’s garden beds city and out in the open.

 

Accidents

Several accidents happen every year, but most of them are not serious. Most of them are related to athletics or games during meal and coffee breaks. The School of Work is committed to creating a safe work environment for students.

More about adolescent work on the Administration of Occupational Safety and Hea…

School & Working Procedure

School and working procedures are intended to promote students' attachment and well-being at work. The School of Work of applies the following rules:

  • Students follow the instructor's instructions and treat colleagues and others with courtesy and consideration in their work
  • Students are punctual
  • Students should arrive at work dressed according to the weather and with appropriate packed meals
  • Students are responsible for their own belongings during working hours
  • Mobile use is not permitted without the consent of the instructor
  • The School of Work is a tobacco-free place to work

Actions Due to Rules Violations

Students who fail to follow the rules of the School of Work receive a warning. Should a student's conduct continue to be inadequate, the student's parents are contacted, and the School is entitled to suspend or expel the student, depending on the nature of the offence.

Unacceptable behavior is

  • Disobedience, rude behavior, tardiness, laziness, and carelessness
  • Use of tobacco
  • Vandalism
  • Attacking others causing injury or with dangerous behavior