More than 160,000 teens are injured each year in work related incidents. A few simple tips can reduce risk to teenage workers.
1) Know the child labor laws.
Working long hours or too many days may pose a danger to teen workers health and reduce their ability to do school work or extracurricular activities. It is also important to post these rules in common areas at the workplace to ensure that teens and other workers are informed.
2) Teen workers under 18 years of age need permits from the district in which they reside or attend school.
The employer keeps these permits until the teen no longer works there, upon which time the employer must send the permit back to the school department of issuance. Even if the child under the age of 18 no longer attends school, a permit is still necessary.
3) Be aware of workplace hazards.
This tip can help not only with teen workers, but also with workers of all ages. Depending on the job, it may be appropriate to require teenagers to wear gloves or closed toed shoes, for example. Training all employees on workplace hazards will greatly help to reduce risk.
4) Maintain supervision of teen workers at all times.
These supervisors should be fully trained in child labor laws as well as safety hazards for teens. These supervisors should be encouraged to be receptive to any and all questions or comments by the teen workers who may be intimidated by the work environment.
5) Provide training for teen workers and prepare them for emergencies.
Many teens may not know proper procedure for lifting boxes, cleaning spills, or other unfamiliar tasks. Training on daily tasks that are within the teens’ job description is essential to the safety of these workers. Impress upon the teenage workers that any and all questions are welcomed. Further, make sure teen workers know escape routes and procedures in case of medical emergencies.
6) Establish a committee to oversee the health and safety of the entire workplace.
Allow employees to generate ideas to contribute to this committee.
Photo credit: Microsoft
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