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Youth may be a contributing factor to some workplace injuries

On Behalf of | Feb 11, 2019 | workplace injuries

It is a rite of passage for some California teenagers to get their first jobs once they are qualified to work. The happiness of earning their own money and having the financial power to buy what they want can motivate some young people to seek out jobs that impose upon them significant tasks and responsibilities. Unfortunately, data offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that young workers in certain industries can suffer workplace injuries more frequently than their older counterparts.

Particularly in the field of retail, the CDC found that young workers, defined as those between the ages of 16 and 24, suffer more injuries than their older colleagues. “Retail,” includes any center of commerce where goods may be purchased, such as restaurants, warehouses, big box stores, boutiques, department stores and many others.

Retail worker injuries can run the gamut of minor to life-threatening. They may suffer injuries when they trip and fall over stock in their places of employment, or when they are asked to use machinery that they cannot safely operate. Their injuries may occur when they handle certain materials in the course of their work and suffer cuts, abrasions and other forms of harm.

Young workers are often the victims of workplace injuries and accidents because they do not receive the training that they need to be successful at their jobs and safe in their practices. They may not have the confidence to ask for additional help, if they are unsure of how to safely complete work. And, as such, they may suffer harm due to their inexperience. All workers have rights, however, and when workplace injuries cause individuals to suffer harm, they may want to investigate their rights to compensation.

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