For many teens, summer is the perfect time to earn some money. Youth workers can provide valuable contributions, but their lack of experience can also make them vulnerable to injuries. Make sure your summer hiring and training practices are keeping teens safe on the job.
Youth Workers and Injury Rates
The youth labor force surges during the summer, when teens take advantage of school breaks to take on summer jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of young workers increased from 21.4 million in April 2024 to 23.6 million in July 2024, an increase of 2.1 million workers.
Injury rates are high among this group. The CDC says the highest rate of work-related injuries and illnesses treated in emergency departments is seen among 18- to 24-year-olds, with a rate of 2.3 injuries per 100 full-time equivalents. The next highest rate is seen among 15- to 17-year-olds, at 1.6 injuries per 100 full-time equivalents. Note that workers under the age of 18 are prohibited from hazardous jobs, which may explain why injury rates surge among 18-year-olds.
Restrictions for Youth Workers
Federal rules restrict the types of jobs, hours and tasks of youth workers. According to the DOL:
- Children under the age of 14 are only allowed to work in certain positions. They are allowed to work in a business owned entirely by their parents, as long as the job is not in a hazardous occupation. They are also allowed to take a few other jobs, such as delivering newspapers and babysitting.
- Children between the ages of 14 and 15 can only work outside of school hours, and there are additional and very specific restrictions on the number of hours they are allowed to work. Furthermore, hazardous jobs and tasks are not allowed. These restrictions include power-driven machinery as well as ladders and scaffolds. Appropriate jobs may include cashier and shelving.
- Children between the ages or 16 and 17 can be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation than has not been declared hazardous. The restrictions include power-driven bakery machines, meat-processing machines and hoisting apparatus.
Federal laws aren’t the only rules that employers need to follow. State laws may place additional restrictions on youth workers.
Child Labor Law Violations and Injuries
Employers sometimes run afoul of child labor laws when they employ minors and then have them operate hazardous machinery. Issues often arise when young workers are tasked with cleaning machines that are supposed to be off but turn on inadvertently. Minors are not allowed to use or clean certain hazardous machines.
In one example, the DOL says that a restaurant violated child labor regulations by allowing a 17-year-old worker to clean a power-driven dough mixer. The restaurant also failed to record the birth date of a minor worker. The operator paid $2,285 in penalties.
Penalties may be higher when injuries are involved. In another example, the DOL says a 16-year-old worker was cleaning a meat grinder during his shift at a supermarket in Georgia, in violation of child labor laws. His hand got stuck, and while trying to free it, the power came on. His finger was cut and required stitches, and the supermarket paid a $7,274 fine for violating child labor laws. Thankfully, the injury was not very serious.
In some cases, the injuries and fines are much more severe. The DOL says that the owners of a supermarket violated child labor laws by letting two 16-year-olds clean a meat grinder. The meat grinder started when one of the teen boys had his arm inside the grinder, and his arm was amputated as a result. The owners were fined $65,289.
Keeping Your Teen Workers Safe
Teen workers play an important role in the workforce. Avoid injuries, fines and workers’ compensation claims by implementing policies and procedures designed to keep your young workers safe.
- Don’t assume knowledge. Provide training and supervision on all safety issues, such as personal protective equipment and proper lifting techniques. The CDC also recommends using a mentor or buddy system.
- Follow both federal and state child labor laws. These laws may restrict both the hours that minors are allowed to work and the tasks that minors are allowed to perform.
- Do not let minors operate or clean dangerous machinery, including power-driven meat slicers, meat grinders and dough mixers. Make sure that the both the teen workers and their supervisors know that minors are not allowed to operate or clean these machines.
- Keep hazardous equipment safe with lockout and tagout procedures.
- Use the equipment safety stickers in the Youth Employment Compliant Assistance Toolkit.
- Make sure teens know what to do in the case of a fire, violent attack or other emergency.
Download our Teen Worker Safety Tips Sheet for more information about keeping teens safe on the job.
