Young Worker Safety Resource Center : Why is Job Health and Safety Training Important for Teens? Young Worker Safety Resource Center
Why do teens work? : Why do teens work? The Number One Answer: MONEY
For 20 hours Other Reasons
Work experience
Sense of independence
Parents’ influence Paycheck
Pay to the order of: Joe Teen Worker Amount: $ 120.00
Most teens work before they’re 18. : 80% of teens report that they’ve held jobs before completing high school
15- to 17-year-olds with jobs work an average of 17 hours per week during school months and 23 hours per week during summer months Most teens work before they’re 18.
Where do teens work? : Where do teens work?
Teens are injured at higher rates than adults: : Every year 200,000 teens are injured on the job.
100,000 15- to 17-year-olds visit the emergency room
for work-related injuries.
70 teens are killed on the job each year.
Teens are injured at higher rates than adults: :06 A teen is injured every six minutes on the job.
Do you know a teen who has been injured? : Share Selected Youth Worker Stories
Share Participant Stories Do you know a teen who has been injured?
What types of injuries do teens experience? : What types of injuries do teens experience?
Most common types of injuries sustained by teens: : Cuts 34%
Contusions 18%
Sprains 16%
Burns 12%
Fractures 4% Most common types of injuries sustained by teens:
Where are teens injured? : Where are teens injured? Where Teens Work
Teens get injured doing common yet dangerous tasks: : Using cutting tools and/or non-powered hand tools
Handling hot liquids and grease
Working around cooking appliances
Continuous manual lifting of heavy objects Teens get injured doing common yet dangerous tasks:
(continued) Teens get injured doing common yet dangerous tasks: : Operating tractors or heavy machinery
Driving or working around motor vehicles
Working near electrical hazards while using ladders, poles, etc.
Working late at night or alone (continued) Teens get injured doing common yet dangerous tasks:
What specific hazards do teens encounter at work? : What specific hazards do teens encounter at work?
Common workplace hazards: : Restaurants
meat slicers
knives
hot grease
slippery floors
hot surfaces
Grocery & Retail Stores
case-cutters
heavy or awkward lifting
slippery floors
repetitive movements (i.e., using
price gun, cash register, etc.) Common workplace hazards:
Common workplace hazards: : Agriculture
dangerous machinery (e.g., forklifts,
tractors, packing machinery)
heavy or awkward lifting
pesticides
falls from ladders
Gas Stations
temperature extremes
working alone
gasoline fumes Common workplace hazards:
Why are teens at higher risk for injury than adults? : Why are teens at higher risk for injury than adults?
Why teens are at higher risk for injury than adults: : Why teens are at higher risk for injury than adults: Low-pay, high turnover jobs
Inexperience
Lack of training and supervision
Want to be responsible and appear competent
Physical development
Teen workers often do not get the training they need: : Studies and surveys reveal that young workers do not receive adequate health and safety training at work
Youth are often assigned potentially dangerous tasks for which they receive no training Teen workers often do not get the training they need:
Teens who work long hours may experience: : Lack of sleep
Difficulty staying awake in class and less time
for homework
Negative effects on learning
Moodiness and difficulty in controlling
emotions
Increased use of stimulants, e.g. caffeine,
nicotine Teens who work long hours may experience:
Some teens work in violation of labor laws: : Some teens work in violation of labor laws: For too many hours
In prohibited hazardous occupations
Without permits
WORK ALERT
Most states require Teens to have a valid permit to work.
Schools, employers, and parents are part of the permit process.
Job readiness professionals can help educate and protect teens: : Learn about job safety
Provide training to teens
Create forums for discussion
Serve as a resource and advocate
Provide information to parents Job readiness professionals can help educate and protect teens:
Ways educators can work with employers: : Provide information to employers about labor laws
Discuss on-site health and safety training for youth
Report and follow-up on unsafe conditions Ways educators can work with employers:
The Young Worker Safety Resource Center offers: : 3- to 5-hour health and safety curriculum
½ day Training-of-Trainers workshop
on young workers’ safety
Short seminars for employers
Other resources and consultation on
health and safety issues The Young Worker Safety Resource Center offers:
The Young Worker Safety Resource Center serves: : Staff from:
School to Career programs
Workforce Investment Boards
Jobs for America’s Graduates
Transition-to-work programs for
youth with disabilities
Employers of Youth
Representatives of other community
organizations working with youth The Young Worker Safety Resource Center serves:
For More Information: : Diane Bush, Coordinator
Young Workers Project
Labor Occupational Health Program
University of California at Berkeley
2223 Fulton Street, 4th Floor
Berkeley, CA 94720-5120
phone: 510-643-2424
fax: 510-643-5698
dbush@uclink4.berkeley.edu For More Information: Christine Miara
EDC Project Director
Education Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458
phone: 617-618-2238
cmiara@edc.org
Teen Work Stories : Teen Work Stories
Jaime is a 17-year-old dietary aide in a hospital. To clean cooking pans, she soaks them in a powerful chemical solution. She uses gloves to protect her hands and arms. One day, as Jaime was lifting 3 large pans out of the chemical solution at once, the pans slipped out of her hands and back into the solution which splashed all over the side of her face and into her right eye. She was blinded in that eye for 2 weeks. : Jaime is a 17-year-old dietary aide in a hospital. To clean cooking pans, she soaks them in a powerful chemical solution. She uses gloves to protect her hands and arms. One day, as Jaime was lifting 3 large pans out of the chemical solution at once, the pans slipped out of her hands and back into the solution which splashed all over the side of her face and into her right eye. She was blinded in that eye for 2 weeks. Story: Girl Blinded by Chemicals
Andy is a 17-year-old employee in a pizza shop. To make pizzas, he starts by putting dough through an electric dough roller to roll out the crust. One day, the dough got stuck in the machine. Andy tried to push it through with his hand but his hand got caught between the two rubber rollers, crushing two fingers on his left hand. : Andy is a 17-year-old employee in a pizza shop. To make pizzas, he starts by putting dough through an electric dough roller to roll out the crust. One day, the dough got stuck in the machine. Andy tried to push it through with his hand but his hand got caught between the two rubber rollers, crushing two fingers on his left hand. Story: Youth Crushes Fingers in Pizza Dough Machine
Billy is a 16-year-old worker in a fast food restaurant. One day, while walking toward the grill, Billy slipped on grease that had splattered onto the floor. To stop his fall, he tried to grab onto a bar near the grill, but missed it and put his hand onto the hot grill instead. He suffered second-degree burns on the palm of his hand. : Billy is a 16-year-old worker in a fast food restaurant. One day, while walking toward the grill, Billy slipped on grease that had splattered onto the floor. To stop his fall, he tried to grab onto a bar near the grill, but missed it and put his hand onto the hot grill instead. He suffered second-degree burns on the palm of his hand. Story: 16-Year-Old Boy Suffers Burns
Monique is a 15-year-old worker in a fast food restaurant. One day, Monique was moving the french-fry basket from the hot oil to the drying bin. She didn’t realize that a co-worker was crouching behind her getting napkins out of the storage cabinet, which is located just below the Fryolator. As Monique turned around, she bumped into her co-worker, spilling hot grease onto both of them. : Monique is a 15-year-old worker in a fast food restaurant. One day, Monique was moving the french-fry basket from the hot oil to the drying bin. She didn’t realize that a co-worker was crouching behind her getting napkins out of the storage cabinet, which is located just below the Fryolator. As Monique turned around, she bumped into her co-worker, spilling hot grease onto both of them. Story: Girl Accidentally Dumps Hot Oil on Self and Co-Worker in Fast Food Restaurant
Mollie is a 16-year-old employee at a grocery store. Mollie thought that the meat slicer was turned off before she began to clean it, but just as she started to clean the blades, the blade moved. The machine cut a finger on Mollie’s left hand all the way to the bone and also broke her finger with the force. : Mollie is a 16-year-old employee at a grocery store. Mollie thought that the meat slicer was turned off before she began to clean it, but just as she started to clean the blades, the blade moved. The machine cut a finger on Mollie’s left hand all the way to the bone and also broke her finger with the force. Story: Girl Cuts Finger to Bone on Meat Slicer
Stephen is a 17-year-old employee in a grocery store. One day, when he was loading 40-pound boxes onto a wooden pallet, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower back. He had to stay out of work for a week to recover, and his back still hurts him sometimes. : Stephen is a 17-year-old employee in a grocery store. One day, when he was loading 40-pound boxes onto a wooden pallet, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower back. He had to stay out of work for a week to recover, and his back still hurts him sometimes. Story: 17-Year-Old Strains Back in Grocery Store
Sean is a 17-year-old cashier who works about 40 hours a week at a large discount retail store. Lately it seems that he is always being yelled at by customers. When the boss gets involved, he always says the customer is right, which makes Sean angry. His boss is also always on him to work faster and ring up purchases more quickly. Not only is Sean feeling stressed out all the time, he is also starting to feel some pain in his wrist from working the cash register. : Sean is a 17-year-old cashier who works about 40 hours a week at a large discount retail store. Lately it seems that he is always being yelled at by customers. When the boss gets involved, he always says the customer is right, which makes Sean angry. His boss is also always on him to work faster and ring up purchases more quickly. Not only is Sean feeling stressed out all the time, he is also starting to feel some pain in his wrist from working the cash register. Story: Stress Takes a Toll on Youth Worker
Reggie is a 16-year-old gas station attendant. One very cold winter night, his fingers and toes started to feel cold and later became numb. He worked four more hours until the end of his shift at 11:00 p.m. He went home but woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t feel his fingers or his toes. He had second- and third-degree frostbite on all his fingers and on three of his toes. : Reggie is a 16-year-old gas station attendant. One very cold winter night, his fingers and toes started to feel cold and later became numb. He worked four more hours until the end of his shift at 11:00 p.m. He went home but woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t feel his fingers or his toes. He had second- and third-degree frostbite on all his fingers and on three of his toes. Story: Young Gas Station Attendant Suffers Severe Frostbite
Tanya is a 15-year-old worker for a summer clean-up corps that was cleaning up city beaches. One day while she was picking up trash, her hand was stuck with a hypodermic needle. She was later tested and diagnosed with hepatitis B virus. : Tanya is a 15-year-old worker for a summer clean-up corps that was cleaning up city beaches. One day while she was picking up trash, her hand was stuck with a hypodermic needle. She was later tested and diagnosed with hepatitis B virus. Story: Girl Contracts Hepatitis
at Summer Job
James is a 17-year-old worker for a city public works department. One hot afternoon (it was 92 F outside) while James was weeding an overgrown lot, he started to feel dizzy and disoriented, and then fainted due to the heat. : James is a 17-year-old worker for a city public works department. One hot afternoon (it was 92 F outside) while James was weeding an overgrown lot, he started to feel dizzy and disoriented, and then fainted due to the heat. Story: Young Worker Suffers Heat Stroke
A 16-year-old student worked at a fast food restaurant. The floor often got very greasy and had to be washed a lot. As the student walked across the wet floor carrying a basket of french-fries, he slipped. He tried to keep the fries from falling so he couldn’t break his fall with his hands. He fell on his tailbone and was seriously injured. He is now permanently disabled and has trouble walking. : A 16-year-old student worked at a fast food restaurant. The floor often got very greasy and had to be washed a lot. As the student walked across the wet floor carrying a basket of french-fries, he slipped. He tried to keep the fries from falling so he couldn’t break his fall with his hands. He fell on his tailbone and was seriously injured. He is now permanently disabled and has trouble walking. Story: Boy Suffers Permanent Injury at Work
A 19-year-old college student was working at a deli. When operating an electric cabbage shredder, she caught her hand in the machinery. She had never been given any health and safety training or even shown how to use the shredder properly. Since the accident, she has had four operations and months of painful physical therapy. Her hand is permanently disfigured. She used to be on the school basketball team, but now she can’t play. Workers compensation paid her only $2300. : A 19-year-old college student was working at a deli. When operating an electric cabbage shredder, she caught her hand in the machinery. She had never been given any health and safety training or even shown how to use the shredder properly. Since the accident, she has had four operations and months of painful physical therapy. Her hand is permanently disfigured. She used to be on the school basketball team, but now she can’t play. Workers compensation paid her only $2300. Story: Young Woman’s Hand Caught in Cabbage Shredder--Basketball Career Ends