Severe injury and the need for improved safety training among working teens.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate work characteristics and safety training among teenagers with severe work-related injuries.


METHODS
A questionnaire was administered to 6810 high school Wisconsin students in May 2003.


RESULTS
Fifteen percent of working teens reported being injured at work. Variables associated with severe injury included having a near-miss incident at work (AOR = 8.72, 95%CI = 5.51-13), working after 11:00 PM (AOR = 4.21, 95%CI=2.08-8.53), and being asked to do something dangerous (AOR = 2.59, 95%CI = 1.53-4.39).


CONCLUSIONS
Prohibiting teens from working long and late hours, improved safety training, and increased communication between teens and their coworkers and supervisors may help reduce the occurrence of injury.
Zierold
Kristina M
KM
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. kzierold@wfubmc.edu
Anderson
Henry A
HA
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D012449:Safety; D013334:Students; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014922:Wisconsin; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*