With summer job season fast approaching, it’s time for employers in the construction, manufacturing, and warehousing sectors to be reminded of the risks associated with employing persons 25 years of age or younger.    Traditionally, workers in this age group have supplemented the construction industry, used often as laborers or helpers during some of the busiest months for builders, June, July, and August.

Although the majority of high school and college age workers are intelligent, dependable and usually will work for modest wages, they are not without their issues.  Problems emerge when employers do not recognize their special needs and try to blend them into their workforce without addressing these needs.  Employers must be aware of their inexperience and vulnerability, especially when deployed at work sites and stations that may pose dangers for even the most seasoned employees.

Young workers have several unique characteristics that make them more susceptible to accidents than other workers. Based on hospital emergency room data, the injury rate for employees under age 25 is approximately twice as high as for those 25 years of age or older.  In 2015, 403 workers less than 24 years of age died from work-related injuries.  From 1998 to 2007, 795,000 non-fatal injuries to young workers occurred on average.  Contributing factors to these statistics are listed below:

  • Not recognizing hazards. They may fail to identify hazards while on the job.  Avoiding or identifying dangerous conditions may seem common for experienced workers but employers must remember that young workers have cognitive, physical, and emotional developmental features that limit their ability to function like adults
  • Not asking questions. Young workers may hesitate to ask questions about the tasks they have been assigned to perform and the equipment.  They also may be intimidated or confused by their surroundings but are not mature enough to voice their concerns or questions.

Employers may unknowingly increase the likelihood of injury to a young worker by failing to provide the following:

  • Insufficient safety training. Young seasonal workers must be afforded at least the same level of training as more experienced workers and be trained using language and vocabulary they will understand too.  Stress that it is OK to ask questions so they will be comfortable doing so.
  • Inadequate supervision. A veteran employee or supervisor should be assigned to young workers as they begin their employment and continuing until they become comfortable in their new jobs.

 

  • Inappropriate tasks to perform. Employers should not expect them to undertake complex or difficult tasks that are more suited to experienced employees.  Child Labor laws in fact prohibit minors from working certain hours and performing dangerous or hazardous activities.

 

In summary, it’s important to realize that young workers are not simply “little adults” and to assume they will be able to function as an adult while on the job.  They have both practical and psychological qualities that must be taken into consideration by employers.   OSHA recognizes their special status too and expects company decision makers to appreciate what steps must be taken to keep them safe during working hours.  To assist employers, the agency has established an information page on their website devoted to young workers at https://www.osha.gov/youngworkers/index.html.