Effect of Safety Training and Knowledge of Child Labor Laws on Reported Injuries Among Working Youth: Results of School Based Surveys

Background: Studies on the effect of safety training, knowledge of child labor laws and injuries among youth workers are limited. Such research is important for assessing the adequacy of training and for designing safety interventions. Methods: Data were obtained from cross sectional surveys in 32 high schools in North Carolina and South Carolina in fall 2005. A total of 1658 employed youth participated. Chi-square analyses were calculated to study the relationship between safety training, knowledge of child labor laws and reported injuries. Results: There was no significant association between safety training and reported injuries among employed teens. The proportion of teens who had knowledge of child labor laws that regulate the hours teens can work and were injured was significantly lower (4.0%) than the proportion of teens who had no knowledge of these laws and were injured (6.0%). (Chi Square (1) = 4.95, p= 0.0261). Over a third of teens (38.1 %) responded having no safety training, 35.5% responded receiving some safety training, (1-7 training areas covered) and 26.4% responded receiving adequate safety training (8 or more of 11 training areas covered). About one third of respondents had no knowledge of laws that limit the kinds of work teens can do, or laws that limit hours teens can work or laws that regulate how late teens can work (32.4%, 31.0% and 43.6% respectively). Conclusions: Findings suggest that teens do not get adequate safety training and have implications for interventions to address the gaps in safety training of working teens. ________________________________________