Work Safety for Teens

As your children enter the workforce, it is important to educate them on what work safety entails. Unfortunately, many workplaces that hire teenagers for seasonal and temporary work do not follow work safety guidelines. You can learn more about work safety for teens below in order to ensure your child’s safety and rights.

If your teenager has had their work safety rights violated, contact our worker’s compensation attorneys at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C.. Our attorneys have years of experience dealing with workplace laws and regulations, and we can help discuss your teenager’s legal rights and options.

Call us today to schedule a free and confidential consultation at (312) 236-2900.

Most Dangerous Jobs For Teenagers

According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Teenagers are twice as likely to be injured than an adult while working due to their work assignments, environment, and a lack of experience. According to the National Consumers League, the top five most dangerous jobs for teenagers are:

• Delivery and driving jobs – When new drivers have a delivery job, they are more likely to get in an accident due to their inexperience driving. Also, if they are driving late nights on the road, they could encounter another driver driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. In addition, driving other motorized equipment such as a forklift stand can be unsafe and cause accidents due to inadequate training.
• Selling goods on street corners – Selling candy, magazines, and other goods can prove dangerous due to selling on street corners in dangerous places the teenager is unfamiliar with.
• Cooking in restaurants – Being exposed to hot surfaces, oil, water, and steam can cause severe injuries.
• Working in cash-based businesses unsupervised – Working in a gas station or other convenience stores can be dangerous if the teenager is working alone and/or late at night.
• Construction – Working with electrical wires and at heights can set the stage for injuries if inadequate training was provided.

Common Causes of Teenager Workplace Injuries

NIOSH assesses that 158,000 teenagers in the United States are injured annually while working. Some common causes of teenager workplace injuries include:

• Lack of safety training
• No supervision while working
• Working in high stress settings
• Unsafe conditions

These conditions and more set the stage for teenagers to suffer a severe injury while working.

How Parents Can Help

When a teenager is under the age of 18 and begins working, a parent will typically have to sign a work permit. In addition, parents should have open conversations with their teenager in order to ensure they are working in a safe environment and their rights are not being violated. Some questions to ask your teenager could be:

• How was your day at work?
• Did your supervisors go over possible dangers and how to avoid them while working?
• Do you know what actions you should take if there is an emergency?
• Do you feel you have received adequate training?
• Are the floors clean and lacking debris?
• Are you working closely with chemicals? Are you aware of how to work safely with them?
• Are you picking up heavy items?
• Do you know what to do if you are injured at work?
• Do you feel comfortable in your environment?

All these and more are good questions to begin an open conversation with your teenager about their work environment.

How a Chicago Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help

Even as a teenager in the workplace, you have rights. If your teenager has been injured while working due to no fault of their own, they may be eligible for compensation for any injuries. Our Chicago workers’ compensation attorney can help assess your teenager’s case and will discuss all legal options.

Call Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. today to schedule a free consultation at (312) 236-2900.