Quality of supervision and injury among teenagers in the workplace

Background: Teenagers who work have twice the risk of injury as adult workers and sustain an estimated 230,000 injuries per year. Limited information regarding the impact of supervision on workplace injury in teenagers exists. This study investigated supervision and its relationship to safety and injury among working teenagers. Methods: Data was collected from teenagers attending public high schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 42 teens in April-May 2010 and a survey of over 3,000 students was completed in January-February 2011. Results: Forty-two teenagers were interviewed; 52% had been injured at their current job and 48% worry about getting hurt at work. While most teens reported that they saw their supervisors frequently, many teenagers felt that their supervisors only cared about job performance and not their wellbeing. A white, 19-year-old female explained, “some of them don't care at all […] They're more like, do your job and you get to go home after.” Analysis of recently collected survey data will help to elucidate teens' perceptions of their supervisors, the amount and quality of communication teens have with their supervisors, and the effects on teen injury. Conclusion: Supervision is likely an influential force in preventing occupational injury among teenagers. However, the teens interviewed perceived a lack of care from their supervisors, which may affect injury rates. This study will be the first to document how the amount and quality of supervision teens receive are connected to workplace injury.