Teen Workers Often Injured on the Job
Newsday.com reports that a Wisconsin Study published in the American Journal of Health Behavior reports that one out of six working teens has been injured on the job. Many of these teenagers should not legally have been working the jobs they were working because of their age. "The findings clearly indicate that work-related injuries among youth are a significant health problem," said Kristina Zierold, an assistant professor of family medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and lead author of the study.
Slightly more than half the students who responded to the questionnaire reported getting injured at any kind of job. The researchers conducting the study report that "approximately 70 children die from injuries inflicted at work; hundreds are hospitalized and tens of thousands require treatment in hospital emergency rooms. The National Pediatric Trauma Registry and National Center for Health Statistics report that occupational injuries are the fourth-leading cause of death among young ages 10-19." Most teens work jobs in restaurants, baby-sitting, lawn care, and in retail. The researchers suggest training in high school health class curriculum to recognize work related hazards.
Related Links:
The Folly of Protecting Teens from Work
Campaign Aims to Save Teens from Work Injury
Legal View: Occupational Disease