The Massachusetts Department of Public Health conducted a study between 2014-2018 detailing the workplace dangers young workers faced in Massachusetts during that time. Included are the types of injuries young workers face, the rates at which they are injured, and the industries where these injuries most commonly occur.
According to the study “Young Workers Project: Work-Related Injuries to Teens in Massachusetts, 2014-2018”, due to factors such as high-risk industries, inexperience, and lack of safety training, teen workers assume twice the risk of suffering nonfatal injuries while working than do older workers.
During the study, there were 692 workers’ compensation claims filed for injuries suffered by workers under the age of 18—a rate of 0.77 per 100 full-time employees. Most of these injuries occurred in the accommodation and foodservice industry.
Understanding the cause of these types of injuries is crucial in creating prevention methods. This study and the Young Workers: Injury Surveillance and Prevent Project aim to engage teens in proper health and safety skills that will protect them in the workplace.
Click here to read “Young Workers Project: Work-Related Injuries to Teens in Massachusetts, 2014-2018” for more statistics on dangers our young workers are facing and ways that we can prevent harm to the youth in the workplace.
-Young Workers: Injury Surveillance and Prevention Project