You have many years of employment ahead of you. If you get hurt on the job that injury could affect you for the rest of your life. A serious injury could impact your ability to participate in sports and hobbies, in addition to limiting your job options in the future. This web site will provide you with the basics you need to know before you start a job.

Most teens start working at a job without knowing about the laws that protect them or how to stay safe at work. Don't assume that your employer knows these laws. Although most employers are familiar with labor laws for adults, many are less knowledgeable about the labor laws for teenagers. By becoming familiar with your rights and responsibilities on the job you can to protect yourself from injuries.

Nearly 230,000 teens in the U.S. suffer a work-related injury every year. Injury rates for teenagers are two times higher than they are for working adults.

In Washington State, between 2000 and 2006, 11,125 teens (11-17 years old) reported a workplace injury to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Ninety-three percent of those teens were 16 -17 years old.

15 Fatalities - all but one male

• Four - agricultural or construction machinery rollover or crush injuries
• Three - highway vehicle crashes
• Three - struck by falling objects
• Two - suffocation in a grain silo
• One - fall from roof
• One - drowning (irrigation ditch)
• One - stabbing at a fast food restaurant