Teenage workers new to the workforce may only have one focus – the money they will earn for the things they want. Summer jobs are often available in the middle of May when college semesters are ending and young people are looking for work. Employers often have additional tasks to complete during the summer months when more work can be completed outside. Additionally, a lot of seasonal businesses that are only open during the summer, like amusement parks, require full staff for just a few months of the year.
While job availability for part time, temporary jobs is usually high many of the jobs come with a health and safety risk. Since many summer workers are on the job for the first time, there is an increased risk for accidents and injuries with the younger staff. In some cases, the full time workers may pass on the less than desirable work to the newbies but fail to offer the proper safety training before expecting the job to be done.
This can be very hazardous to the health and wellbeing of young workers. If a serious injury should occur, it can potentially risk the future work capacity of the teen. Even minor slips and falls can lead to spinal injuries, head injuries, or paralysis. Injuries this serious are often seen with teens working part time in construction, on road crews, tree trimming jobs, and even when working at a local pool. They also are more common for those working with or around heavy equipment.
Training may seem ‘boring’ to first-time workers but it an essential component for the proper health and safety of the teen workers as well as all those working around them. As first-time workers may be nervous about their foray into the workforce, they may be subjected more easily to injuries caused by their own mistakes.
Parents of teen workers should help their child to understand the responsibilities of taking on employment outside of being on time. A brief overview of the different aspects of human resources can help point a young worker in the right direction and encourage more attention to safety while on the job.
