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| Introduction: |
As an employer who hires teenagers, you play a critical role in introducing todays youth to the world of work by helping them see the relationship between what they are learning in school and how it applies to the working world. Work is a valuable learning experience for most teenagers because it gives them an opportunity to earn money while at the same time develop and learn new skills.
There are many advantages to hiring teens, such as their enthusiasm and energy, but it also comes with challenges. When you employ teenagers it is important to remember that they are still developing physically, mentally and socially. It is also sometimes necessary to make adjustments to accommodate them because they are still students.
Many teen workers often lack "real world" experience that is necessary to make good decisions. It is this inexperience that can lead to injuries on the job, if they are not appropriately trained and supervised.
Newly hired teenagers need to be made aware of how important safety is right from the start. Statistics show that workers are the most susceptible to injuries their first month on the job. That is why it is important provide your new employees with basic safety training as soon as they come under your supervision.
This web site contains information, hints and resources for employers who hire teenagers. We hope it will provide you with some basic information on health and safety and child labor laws as they apply to hiring teenagers in Washington. If you have any comments or can not locate the information you are looking for please send us an e-mail and we will be happy to assist you.
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| Where Working Teens Get Hurt: |
Nearly 200,000 teens in the U.S. are injured on the job every year.
In Washington state, every year approximately 3000 teens file injury or illness
claims due to injuries they have received on the job. Injury rates for
teenagers are two to three times higher than they are for working adults.
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| Some Washington State Statistics: |
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Where do Teen Workers Get Hurt?
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NOTE: Mary Miller (Labor & Industries) and Dr. Joel Kaufman
(Dept. of Environmental Health) studied accepted injury claims filed
by teens in Washington State from 1988 through 1991.
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Over a period of 4 years (1988-91), 17,800 work related teen injuries were
reported in Washington State. Of those injuries, 3 were work related fatalities
(2 in agriculture, 1 in construction). 62% of the injuries happened to
males, 38% happened to females.
Most frequent types of injuries:
Cuts and Lacerations 41%
Sprains 19%
Bruises 14%
Burns 11%
Other 15%
Serious injuries:
Of the 17,800 teen injures reported
22 were amputations
66 were dislocations
102 were concussions
464 were broken bones
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