Work-Related Hazards and Workplace Safety of US Adolescents Employed in the Retail and Service Sectors

Details

• Personal Author:
  Agans R ; Bowling JM ; Dal-Santo J ; Runyan, Carol W. ; Schulman M ; Ta M
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to examine the hazard exposures, work experiences, and workplace safety training of adolescents employed in retail and service jobs in the United States. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional telephone survey among working adolescents, 14 to 18 years old, in the continental United States. Data were collected in 2003. Survey items measured self-reported hazard exposures, training, and supervision experiences of working adolescents. RESULTS: Teens reported working an average of 16.2 hours per week during the school year, including working an average of 2.9 times per week after 7 PM on school nights and 2.6 nights per week after 9 PM. Thirty-seven percent of those under age 16 reported working after 7 PM on a school night, indicating employer violation of federal law. Teens typically perform multiple kinds of tasks in a given job. Higher proportions of females than males are involved in cash handling (84% vs 61%), whereas males are more likely than females to be involved in physically challenging tasks, such as lifting heavy objects (57% vs 22%) or working at heights (35% vs 17%). Despite federal regulations prohibiting teens under 18 from using certain types of dangerous equipment (eg, slicers, dough mixers, box crushers, paper balers) or serving or selling alcohol in places where it is consumed, 52% of males and 43% of females reported having performed > or = 1 prohibited task. Although more males reported receiving safety training, they were also more likely to report working without supervision than their female counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Teens are exposed to multiple hazards, use dangerous equipment despite federal prohibitions, and work long hours during the school week. They also lack consistent training and adult supervision on the job. It is important for adolescent medicine practitioners to become involved in prevention efforts through both anticipatory guidance and policy advocacy. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Age Factors Aging Behavior Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Accident-prevention Adolescent Workers Age-factors Age-groups Attitude Author Keywords: Youth Behavior-patterns Hazard Exposures Injury-prevention Retail-workers Retail And Service Sector Jobs Safety-education Training Workplace Safety

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• ISSN:
  0031-4005
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  119
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031647
• Citation:
  Pediatrics 2007 Mar; 119(3):526-534
• Contact Point Address:
  University of North Carolina, Injury Prevention Research Center, CB 7505, Suite 500, 137 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7505
• Email:
  carol_runyan@unc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• NORA Priority Area:
  Work Environment and Workforce: Special Populations
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20000901
• Source Full Name:
  Pediatrics
• End Date:
  20030831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:920970856fe217d7a8fa2053e4a5f89151fb04c096b8ce0e5bd1186b8fc0f26f5316539fb6fa4c693842072e752472f24874e7c64397d51d23930c52535d5ecf
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/185873/cdc_185873_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 290.13 KB ]