Injuries To Young Workers Can Be Prevented

Groups who work together to create safer workplaces for teens can bring many benefits to a community: more knowledgeable, responsible employees; lowered workers' compensation and health insurance costs; and a safer work environment for everyone.

Although the safety of young workers is primarily the responsibility of their employers, many others in the community also have a role. Schools, job trainers, parents, youth-serving organizations, health care providers, and the media are just some of the groups that can initiate or participate in a young worker project. The following section, Steps in Coordinating a Young Worker Project, offers guidelines for successfully developing and carrying out such an initiative. The final section, Working with Community Partners, outlines strategies for collaborating with community-based organizations to create safer workplaces. All recommendations in this guide were drawn directly from the experiences of the young worker projects in Brockton, Oakland, and Los Angeles.