Teen Protection In The Work environment

Original Source:15 year old jobs

When teens go off to work-sometimes for the first time in their lives-parents want to know they will be protected in the workplace. Who will keep an eye out for their safety? Industrial hygienists are experts who specialize in ensuring safe and healthy work environments for employees of all ages.

Are teenagers safe in the workplace? Do they know what to watch out for in terms of safety? Consider these statistics from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH):

&Bull; On average, 45 percent of American teens are employed each year-more than any other developed country.

&Bull; More than three million U.S. Teens enter into the workforce every summer and hundreds and hundreds of these teens are admitted to emergency rooms due to work-related injuries. (Read more:summer jobs)

&Bull; Just about 200,000 adolescents suffer injuries on the job and around 70 die from these injuries each year.

&Bull; Teens have the highest rate of nonfatal work-related injuries, despite the fact that they encounter the same potential on-the-job hazards as adults.

&Bull; The reasons for teen work-related accidents include lack of working experience, gaps in existing laws and enforcement, unskilled supervisors, working in industries that don’t generally hire professionals trained in industrial hygiene and/or safety, physical limitations due to lack of size and strength, and simple lack of maturity (“goofing off” on the job). &Bull; The majority of deaths and injuries of young workers on the job occur in shops and restaurants. (Read more:good jobs for 16 year olds in summer)

&Bull; Common potential hazards consist of automobile and machinery operation (for teens old enough for such tasks), working in high-homicide industries such as retail, working with or near electrical or hot equipment, working jobs with fall risks, and working jobs requiring manual lifting.

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