As summer nears, employers are inundated with job applications from aspiring teenage workers looking for summer jobs. And with tightening budgets, a teen employee for the summer may be the perfect solution. As an employer hiring young workers, you play an important role in preparing the next generation of workers.
However, young workers are being injured on the job in alarming numbers — often at higher rates than adult workers, even though youth under age 18 are legally protected from doing the most hazardous kinds of work. In a typical year in the United States, 200 thousand young workers are injured on the job, and summer heat adds additional hazards.
As a member of the California Resource Network for Young Worker Health and Safety, State Fund is committed to lowering work-related injuries and illnesses among young workers and educating employers on the specific hazards posed in the summer. We developed the following guidelines to help you prepare for summer workers and keep young people safe and healthy.
So you have hired your summer workers, now what? The most common reasons teens are injured on the job include lack of supervision and instruction and working with dangerous equipment. The first thing an employer must do before allowing employees to work is provide training. Follow State Fund’s five steps to safer teen jobs.
Many teen employees are working for the first time and need time to acclimate to the job and the safety attitudes employers provide.
State Fund has developed a variety of resources to help keep young workers safe. Take a look and help your teen worker get off to a safe start in the working world.
