Recorded presentation

Curtis Breslin, PhD¹, Peter Smith, MPH², Emile Tompa, PhD², and Roman Dolinschi, MSc². (1) Institute for Work & Health, 481 University Ave, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada, 416-927-2027, cbreslin@iwh.on.ca, (2) Insitute for Work & Health, 481 University Ave, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada

Background: A consistent finding in the work safety literature is that adolescents and young adults have higher work injury rates than adults. This elevated risk has remained despite a general decrease in work injury rates in the 1990s. Changes in youth’s labor market experiences over the 1990’s (e.g., industrial mix, amount of temporary work) can change their overall incidence of work injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine whether lost-time claim rates declined to the same degree among youth as adult workers.

Method: We examined Ontario lost-time claim records among workers 15 to 80 years of age from 1993-1998. Estimates of work hours were obtained from the Canadian Labour Force Survey.

Results: The decline in injury rates among young workers 15 to 24 years old during the 1990’s was less than the decline for adults over 25 years. In the goods industries, young workers’ rates declined 19% while adult rates declined 33%. In the service/retail industries, young workers’ rates declined 19% while adult rates declined 45%.

Conclusion: This is the first study of age differences in work injuries over time. Apparently, age-related differences in work injury rates have actually intensified over the 1990’s. Whether this shallower decline in rates for youth is due to their continued concentration in low status jobs, continued poor safety training among young workers, and/or changes in policies and reporting practices for lost time claims remains to be determined. Prevention efforts may benefit from understanding temporal shifts in work injuries among youth.

Learning Objectives: Participants will

• Learn about determinants of work injuries among youth
• About trends in work injury in the 1990's by age group
• Possible explanations for trends observed by young workers

Keywords: Occupational Injury and Death, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation