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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Janice Windau, MS, Office of Safety, Health and Working Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Ave, NE, Room 3180, Washington, DC 20212, (202)691-6160, Windau_J@bls.gov

Background: Fatal work injuries among youths under 18 years old averaged 68 per year between 1992 and 2000. Fatality rates among these workers approached those for workers 18-54 years old for a couple of these years. Fortunately, fatalities among young workers declined from 53 in 2001 to 41 in 2002. Methods: Data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for 2003 and 2004 were examined to see what industries and what types of incidents are responsible for young worker deaths in recent years. Hours at work data from the Current Population Survey were used to calculate fatality rates. Data for 2005 will be added to the analysis when they become available. Results: Young worker fatality totals for 2003 and 2004 were similar to those for 2001 and 2002. Furthermore, their fatality rates declined so that they were appreciably lower than those for 18-54 year olds. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing accounted for 44 percent of the fatalities among working youth; the construction industry accounted for another 12 percent. Self-employed workers and workers in family businesses and farms—many of whom do not fall under child labor laws—continue to be at increased risk of fatal injury. Over half of the young worker fatalities resulted from vehicle-related incidents. This presentation will expand on these results and discuss additional aspects of young injuries (such as worker activity at the time of the incident) as well as recent trends in nonfatal injuries among young workers.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

• List 3 work activities resulting in fatalities among young workers.
• List 3 major industries in which young workers were injured.
• Discuss recent trends in young workers' injuries.

Keywords: Occupational Injury and Death, Youth at Work

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No