May is Safe Jobs for Youth Month
California Department of Industrial Relations via BizWire
Young Workers Learn to Prevent Job Injuries and Understand Their Rights by Attending Job Safety Workshops
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SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2004--The annual
observance of Safe Jobs for Youth Month in May gives state labor
officials, educators and local leaders an opportunity to help protect
young workers from on the job injuries by offering interactive
workshops, job safety resources and a Lewis Hine child labor
photograph exhibit.
Thousands of California's young workers aged 14 to 18 begin summer
jobs in industries such as food service, construction, agriculture,
customer service and retail. These jobs allow youth to earn money and
create positive work experiences. They can also involve injury,
disability or exploitation if young workers are not informed of
potential hazards and their rights.
"I was an assistant at an auto body repair shop when I was in the
10th grade," says Juan Garcia. "I was exposed to hazardous chemicals
without protection and was earning about $100 for working over 40
hours per week."
Garcia, now a youth coordinator and graduate student, heard about
UCLA's Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH) and decided
to attend.
"That's where I found out about training for employees, minimum
wage and workers' compensation," says Garcia.
This May, UCLA-LOSH is partnering with local community groups to
provide classes for high school students that will teach them how to
avoid hazardous working conditions and understand their rights.
"California's labor, safety and health laws protect young
workers," says John Rea, acting director of the California Department
of Industrial Relations. "Educating teens is vital for their
well-being and represents an important investment in California's
economic future," Rea added.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
estimates every year 230,000 young workers are injured on the job,
with 77,000 injured seriously enough to go to the emergency room. Many
young workers don't question their employer's business practices for
fear of losing their jobs.
"Young workers need to know health and safety training on the job
is their right," says Carol Frischman of UCLA's LOSH. "And we can help
young workers lay the foundation for a lifetime of job safety built on
solid principles."
Young workers face potential hazards from:
-- Powered equipment such as box crushers, bakery machines and
forklifts
-- Late hours, which increase risks and vulnerability to crime
-- Long hours, which create potential hazards when working alone
and experiencing frequent contact with the public
-- Unsafe or broken equipment
-- Cooking with hot oil and on hot cooking surfaces.
Safe Jobs for Youth Month events:
-- Exhibit of Lewis Hine child labor photos at the Los Angeles
City Hall Land Bridge, May 17-June 25, 2004. Opening reception
May 17, 2004, 10 a.m. - noon
-- Special tours of the Hine photos and workshops for teachers
and students, May 18-20, 2004
-- 2004 Safe Jobs for Youth Month resource kit available for
free, to plan workshops or events in your community. Call
1-888-933-8336 or visit www.youngworkers.org
-- Job safety and labor law fact sheets for teens working in a
variety of industries on the Department of Industrial
Relations' Web site at www.dir.ca.gov.
Safe Jobs for Youth Month is a collaborative effort by the
California Partnership on Young Workers' Health and Safety, a
statewide task force that brings together key representatives from
government agencies and statewide organizations involved with
California youth employment and education issues.
Editors note: Interviews with young workers can be arranged.
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