제  목 : Protecting Working Teens
  일  자 : 1998년 09월
  제공처 : Internet

                 Protecting Working Teens
                ==========================

    Accessibility Information

    Overview

    This summer, more than 3 million teens under 18 will work at summer jobs.
    For the majority of teens, work will be a rewarding experience. However,
    a sizable number of teens will risk being injured or killed on the job.
    Statistics show that each year:

      70 teens are killed on the job, about one every 5 days.
      210,000 working teens are injured; 70,000 teens are injured seriously
      enough to require hospital emergency room treatment.

    Adolescent workers are protected by two laws enforced by the Department
    of Labor, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Occupational Safety
    and Health Act.
    However, enforcement efforts can only go so far. Many teen injuries and
    fatalities, though tragic, are not the result of labor law violations.

    Where Teens Work/How They Are Hurt

    Most teens (51 percent) work in the retail industry, which includes
    fast-food outlets and food stores. An additional 34 percent work in the
    service industry, including health, education, and entertainment/
    recreation.

    Fifty-four percent of teen occupational injuries occur in the retail
    industry, followed by the service industry (20 percent), agriculture
    (7 percent), and manufacturing (4 percent). Some tasks and tools(1)
    associated with a large number of injuries include:

      driving a car
      driving heavy equipment, especially tractors
      using power tools, especially meat slicers

    Teens are killed at work, most often, while driving or traveling as
    passengers in motor vehicles.
    Machine-related accidents, electrocution, homicide, and falls also
    account for many deaths. A NIOSH study has determined that the risk of
    injury death for workers age 16 and 17 was 5.1 per 100,000 full- time
    equivalent workers, compared with 6.0 for adult workers over age
    18. This is of particular concern when you take into consideration the
    fact that as a whole teens work fewer hours than adult employees.

    Safety Protections for Working Teens

    Child labor laws and regulations govern the ages and types of jobs
    children under 18 may work and the hours they may work. In June 1994, the
    Labor Department increased penalties for death or serious injury of
    minors employed in violation of child labor laws as a deterrent to
    employers. The new penalties allow a fine of up to $10,000 for each
    violation that leads to the serious injury or death of a child. The former
    penalty was a fine of up to $10,000 for each minor seriously injured or
    killed.

    From October 1, 1995, through September 30, 1996, Department of Labor
    investigators found more than 7,000 young people working in violation of
    child labor laws and regulations, and assessed $6.8 million in civil
    money penalties for violations involving 1,341 establishments.

    Virtually all workers, including teenagers, are protected by safety and
    health standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    These standards cover fire and electrical safety, chemical hazards,
    machine guarding, and many other on-the-job risks. Employers with 10 or
    more employees in more hazardous industries must keep records of injuries
    and illnesses that occur at their sites. All employers must report to
    OSHA incidents in which one or more workers are killed or three are more
    are hospitalized.

    OSHA enforces its standards through inspections targeted toward high
    hazard industries or conducted in response to worker complaints.
    Penalties can range up to $7,000 for serious violations or $70,000 for
    willful violations of safety and health standards.

    The agency strongly encourages employers to evaluate their worksites for
    potential hazards and to develop effective safety and health programs
    that actively involve all employees at the company. Part of an effective
    program is employee safety and health training, and many OSHA standards
    require specific training to ensure that employees can work safely amid
    potentially hazardous situations. OSHA provides assistance in establishing
    safety and health programs through free state consultation programs.
    Further, the agency is developing a standard covering safety and health
    programs and has revised on a pilot basis its penalty policies to
    significantly reduce penalties for companies that have excellent programs
    in place.

    Work Safe This Summer Initiative

    Work Safe This Summer is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Labor,
    the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the American
    Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Consumers League. Through
    the use of a toll-free telephone number (1-800-959-3652), an Internet web
    site(www.dol.gov), and a variety of education materials, Work Safe This
    Summer is designed to bring important information about on-the-job safety
    for working teens to employers, parents, and the teens themselves.

    * Activities limited or prohibited under the FLSA.