Workplace Safety for Youth
Each year, nearly 100,000 youth nationwide are injured on the job requiring outside medical treatment. Teens are often injured on the job at a higher rate than adults.
The following resources focus on youth safety in the workplace and are tailored for Minnesota. Many other resources are available on the web that are not listed here.
Summer's Hot-Campaign to Beat the Heat: If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which killed more than 30 workers last year. OSHA has developed heat illness educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training. To download these educational materials, go to the U.S. DOL-OSHA website.
Youth @ Work: Teaching Youth About Safety In The Workplace Curriculum for Minnesota (www.cdc.gov/niosh/talkingsafety/states/mn/default.html): The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and the Young Worker Safety Resource Center at the University of California, Berkeley have made available a website with state-specific youth safety curriculum which can be downloaded from their website. See: www.cdc.gov/niosh/talkingsafety.
Youth @ Work: Youth Construction Curriculum, Oregon Edition is focused on safety issues and regulations as specifically addressed in OR OSHA regulations and educational materials as well as data about safety hazards and injuries to young workers and general data related to young people, ages 14-21. This curriculum can be download at:
http://www.cbs.state.or.us/external/osha/video/youthworkers/youth_construction_curr.pdf
Youth @ Work: Hazards in Health Care Settings, Massachusetts Edition provides detailed instructor notes and participant review in "youth friendly" format. To download, go to:
www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs.dph/occupational_health/Talking_Safety_health.pdf
OSHA 11 Curriculum: A 10-hour curriculum appropriate for young workers and includes an additional hour on child labor laws. See: www.uwworksafe.com/request
Additional Resources
Engaging Employers in Protecting Young Workers: Tips and Best Practices from the Young Worker Safety Resource Center - This guide provides strategies that young worker safety advocates in state and local agencies and organizations can use to increase employers' knowledge and capacity to prevent workplace injuries among youth workers. The 24-page booklet can be downloaded at: lohp.org/docs/pubs/youth_work/ProtectingYoungWorkers.pdf
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's Teen Workers website provides information and resources for teens, parents and employers. See: www.dli.mn.gov/LS/TeenWorkers.asp
National Children’s Center For Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety - This Center funded by NIOSH and the Federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau strives to enhance the health and safety of all children exposed to hazards associated with agricultural work and rural environments. See: www.marshfieldclinic.org/NCCRAHS
Farm Safety for Kids: www.fs4jk.org
Links