Young Workers at Higher Risk

For many students, summer break is spent earning money for college, a car, and other personal items. But teens and parents beware, job-related injury rates are high for young workers. Limited job experience and training can put young people at increased risk.

Teen workers have higher rates of work-related injuries than their older, more experienced counterparts. Young people often work on a part-time or temporary basis, and may not receive adequate safety training and oversight. Some experts point out that middle and high school workers also may not have the physical strength and cognitive maturity needed to perform certain job duties. To help address this problem, the U.S. Public Health Service developed a Healthy People objective to reduce rates of work-related injuries among young people aged 15-19.

To learn more and to access helpful training resources, see:

• NIOSH Topic Page: Young Worker Safety. 
• OSHA Topic Page: Safe Work for Young Workers.