Tips for Keeping Teen Workers Safe

Every 5 days a teen worker is killed on the job, according to OSHA, and more than 20,000 are injured annually, which is 2 to 3 times more than any other age category.

Whether they’re full-time or just summer help, teen workers need plenty of training right from Day 1 to prevent accidents and injuries.

Here are some tips from OSHA for protecting teen workers:

• Teach young workers how to do job safely. Train young workers to recognize hazards and use safe work practices. Training should include all the information needed to perform the job safely and prevent accidents. Training should also help young workers develop good safety habits and judgment.
• Stress safety with supervisors. Supervisors are the ones who work most closely with young workers and have the greatest opportunity to influence their work habits. They should monitor teen workers closely and work with them to ensure that they understand hazards and precautions. Supervisors should be especially aware of any risk-taking behavior among young workers.

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• Implement a mentor or buddy system for new young workers. Have an experienced older worker buddy with a teen worker to answer questions and help the inexperienced worker learn the new job.
• Encourage young workers to ask questions. Young workers might be reluctant to speak up, fearful of looking dumb. Assure them there are no “stupid” questions about safety, and encourage them to ask about tasks or procedures that are unclear or hazards they do not understand.
• Focus on communication. Communicating effectively with young workers may require a different approach from that you use for communicating with older workers. OSHA reminds you to be mindful of the “unique aspects” of communicating with young workers. Speak to them in a manner commensurate with their level of maturity and experience.
• Ensure that equipment operated by young workers is both legal and safe for them to use. Tell young workers which equipment they are allowed to use and which they are not allowed to operate. Clearly label equipment young workers are not allowed to operate. 
• Provide required PPE. Explain why specific PPE is needed, and train teen workers to use it properly. Then monitor to make sure they use it.

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Training for All Your Workers

Effective safety training for young workers is essential. There’s so much they need to learn. But your job is made much easier if you have BLR’s Safety Meeting Repros on hand to facilitate training.

Of course, this comprehensive safety training tool isn’t just for young workers. It’s perfect for employees of any age, in any job category.

Safety Meeting Repros offers 50 completely turnkey safety meeting modules, each responsive to a key OSHA regulation, with trainee materials in reproducible form. Just check off the outline items as you proceed through the meeting and you won’t miss a single point of importance. Then follow up with the fully prepared quiz (with instantly available answers) and illustrated handouts that also come with each lesson. You’ve completed a full training cycle, with little more work than running a copier, at a cost equivalent of under $6 a session.

We don’t think you can appreciate how much this program can ease your training task without looking it over. We invite you to do so at no cost (we’ll even pay any return shipping) and no risk. Here’s how you can arrange a trial run, at our expense.

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