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Young Workers
Content Last Reviewed: 06/02/2010

Employers

Do you employ young workers? Young workers can be an asset to your workforce however young workers have unique and substantial risks for work-related injuries and illnesses due to a varity of factors. On-the-job injuries to young workers may be costly, even deadly.

Approximately 2.3 million adolescents aged 15 to 17 years worked in the U.S. in 2008. In 2008, 436 youth between the ages of 14-24 died from work-related injuries, additionally, over 139,000 were injured at work. [More...]

There are several ways that employers can limit or prevent workplace injuries and make work safer for all workers including young workers including:
  • Follow the law! Multiple agencies of the US Department of Labor (DOL) enforce laws to protect workers. Two of these agencies are the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the Wage and Hour Division (WHD).

    OSHA enforces regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. Depending on your location, you, as the employer, must comply with hazard-specific occupational safety and health standards promulgated either by federal OSHA or by your state (if it is an OSHA-approved state plan). Federal or your state OSHA office may provide assistance to you regarding OSHA regulations.

    The OSH Act requires that employers provide a safe and healthful work environment and comply with occupational safety and health standards. This includes OSHA Standards such as:

    • Employers must assess the hazards in their workplace, select the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for their employees, such as gloves, aprons, foot protection, and hearing protection and inform their employees what is appropriate. [29 CFR 1910.132(a)] and [29 CFR 1910.132(d)]

    • Employers must make any employees exposed to hazardous materials aware of the hazards and train them to protect themselves from these hazards [29 CFR 1910.1200].

    • Employers must display a poster prepared by the Department of Labor (DOL) or your state labor department informing employees of the protections of the Occupational Safety and Health Act P.L. 91-596, December 29, 1970 and its amendments.

    The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) enforces Child Labor Laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)). The FLSA and state laws provide child labor provisions that were designed to protect minors in non-agricultural and agricultural employment by restricting the number of hours and types of jobs they may work. Contact your local WHD office for questions on child labor laws, the FLSA and the other laws enforced by the WHD.

  • Review your worksite to eliminate identified hazards and ensure jobs are as safe as possible.
    • Youth Rules! Protecting the Working Teen. Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation, DCEO, and the OSHA North Aurora and Chicago North Area Offices, 384 KB Video, 15 minutes. Assists employers in understanding what their responsibilities are for providing a safe and healthful workplace for young workers as well as how to recognize and eliminate workplace hazards.
    • Self Assessment Tools. YouthRules!

  • Provide training to ensure that young workers recognize hazards and are competent in safe work practices. Training should include prevention of fires, accidents, violent situations, and what to do if injured. Young workers need to know that if they get injured, they have the right to file a claim to cover their medical benefits and some of their lost work time.

  • Stress safety, particularly among first-line supervisors; they have the greatest opportunity to influence young workers and their work habits.

  • Implement a mentoring or buddy system for new youth workers. Have either an adult or experienced young worker be a buddy to answer questions to help the inexperienced worker learn the ropes of a new job.

  • Encourage young workers to ask questions about tasks or procedures that are unclear or not understood.

  • Remember that young workers are not just "little adults." Employers must be mindful of the unique aspects of communicating with young workers.

  • Ensure that equipment operated by young workers is both legal and safe for them to use. Employers should label equipment young workers are not allowed to operate. The YouthRules! website has available downloadable stickers for employers to place on hazardous equipment to alert all workers that no one under 18 years of age may operate the equipment. There is also a sticker designed specifically for forklifts developed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

  • Provide all protective equipment: ear plugs, eye protection and train in use.

  • Train young workers how to do job safely.

  • Develop a safety and health program to help prevent workplace injuries. A strong safety and health program involves all workers, supervisors, management, experienced workers, and teen workers. For help in establishing or improving your safety and health program, see the OSHA Consultation Directory.  

  • Many safety and health problems and injuries can be prevented through simple workplace or work process redesign.
For additional assistance for small businesses, see OSHA's Small Business Handbook. OSHA Publication 2209-02R, (2005). Also available as a 260 KB PDF, 56 pages.

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For Small Business, please also refer to Small Business and the Young Employee: Some Frequently Asked Questions which are intended to assist small business owners in complying with the various provisions, standards and laws governing the employment of youth (those individuals under 18 years of age).


Contact the Department of Labor OSHA at 1-800-321-6742 or the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 if you need additional assistance.


Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at 202-693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF and Video materials.