Ten Tips for Keeping
Your Teen Safe on the Job

When your teenager enters the workforce, they’re taking an important step that will help shape their future. The workplace offers real opportunities – but just as real are the hazards.

You can help keep your teen safe on the job by following these tips:

  1. Familiarize yourself with federal and state teen labor laws. Studies show that most teen workers and their parents are unaware of young employees' rights.
  2. Know the name of your teen’s employer, as well as your teen’s work address and work phone number.
  3. Find out what the physical demands are for your teen’s job.
  4. Make sure you know what your teen’s work hours are. By law, some teens’ workdays are restricted.
  5. Check out the kind of safety training your teen is receiving at work.
  6. Be aware of the common workplace injuries among teens, including slips, trips and falls; strains and sprains; chemical exposure; burns and cuts, eye injuries; hearing loss; motor vehicle crashes; electrocution; and machinery malfunctions.
  7. Learn whether your teen is required to wear safety gear on the job, such as protective goggles and steel-toed boots.
  8. Discourage your teen from wearing loose clothing or jewelry that could become caught in machinery.
  9. Remind your working teen to avoid wearing sandals or open-toe shoes, high heels, or shoes made of canvas in restaurants and other places where floors may be slippery or hazardous.
  10. Be alert for signs of fatigue or stress as your teen tries to balance the demands of work, school, home and extracurricular activities.

Sources: American Society of Safety Engineers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Texas Department of Insurance, U.S. Department of Labor, University of Texas School of Public Health.

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