Young Workers at Higher Risk of On-the-Job Injury

Aug. 1, 2008
Student workers are nearly twice as likely as adults to be injured on the job, bad news for the more than 4 million students who entered the workforce

Student workers are nearly twice as likely as adults to be injured on the job, bad news for the more than 4 million students who entered the workforce as seasonal workers this summer.

Just 54 percent of businesses surveyed by Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, a workers' compensation insurer based in Lansing, Mich., planned to provide any safety training for their student workers. Yet, these same businesses say that workplace safety is a high priority. The survey included more than 600 small- to mid-sized businesses in Michigan.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), some 70 teenagers die each year from work-related injuries and nearly 70,000 are injured severely enough to go to the emergency room.

In an effort to decrease these injuries, Accident Fund developed “WorkSafe Students,” a free student workplace program for use in high schools and businesses to help students and employers understand child labor laws and potential workplace dangers.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

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