Protecting Your Working Teen: A Guide for Parents

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Massachusetts. Department of Public Health
• Description:
  Work is a valuable experience for many teenagers. It can provide needed money, skills, and self-confidence. At the same time, working teens also face risks, even in places that seem safe. Teens are more likely than adults to get hurt at work. An estimated 179,000 U.S. teens are injured at work every year, and many are killed. In Massachusetts, hundreds of teens visit hospital emergency rooms each year for work-related injuries. Injuries at work should not be considered "part of the job." Most injuries can and should be prevented. Employers, young workers, and parents all have roles to play in ensuring positive, safe work experiences. Steps you can take to help your teen stay safe at work: 1. Know the child labor laws and make sure your teen knows them (see reverse). 2. Talk with your teen about his or her job. Ask your teen about: Tasks - what your teen is asked to do. Training - whether your teen has been trained to do assigned tasks safely. The workplace itself - if there are hazards like slippery floors or machines without safety guards. The supervisor - where the supervisor is while your teen is working, how receptive he or she is to listening to employees' concerns. Safety equipment - if your teen is provided with goggles, gloves, special shoes, or other safety equipment. 3. Set limits on hours. Studies have shown that teens who work more than 20 hours a week do not do as well in school as those who work fewer hours. Teachers report that teens who work late at night are less alert in class and less prepared. 4. Help your teen talk about his or her concerns. Encourage your teen to answer the following questions: What do you want your supervisor to do or change? Examples: "I only want to work 3 hours on school days." "I want help lifting heavy boxes." Why do you want your supervisor to make this change? Examples: "So I can keep up with my schoolwork." "So I won't get hurt." Whose help do you want? Examples: "I'd feel more comfortable approaching the boss with some of my coworkers." "I'd like my parents to come with me when I meet with the boss." How will you talk to your supervisor about this? Examples: "Can I make an appointment to talk with you about a problem I'm having?" "Lifting boxes is hurting my back, and I'd like to work out another way to get the job done." This publication is also available in Spanish and Portuguese. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Child Labor Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Child Labor Injury Prevention Occupational Safety And Health Safety Education Teenagers Young Workers
• Publisher:
  Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Guidance
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061299
• Citation:
  Boston, MA: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2015 May; :1-2
• Email:
  teens.atwork@state.ma.us
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  Massachusetts State Department of Public Health - Boston
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Protecting your working teen: a guide for parents
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7c9749268948dc102f51eb61f50db32eb792a7cf0f4e765dfd0116e63c985dd6af198c9d921393d1458032e25b39e2f6652c667da07d83a1beff650f61ad3e43
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224869/cdc_224869_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 37.28 KB ]