Currently, about 80 percent of our state’s students have worked sometime during their high school career. Well, summer break is getting closer and closer and more teens will be heading back to the work force, using this break away from school to make some extra cash!
The Georgia Department of Labor and the federal government regulate child labor. These laws help to make sure that our teenagers are protected from accidents on the job and that they have enough time to complete their school work and other obligations as well.Parents are urged to sit down with the teen worker in their life to make sure that they’re aware of the rights that they have on the job. Oftentimes, because of their inexperience, teen workers are likely to overlook or ignore work-related dangers that could cause a potentially fatal work accident in Atlanta or elsewhere. For this reason, parents should talk to teens about what is required of them and what is required of their employer to help to ensure their safety on the job.
Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers understand that there were more than 17 million workers across the United States who were under the age of 24-years-old in 2010. These workers only represented about 13 percent of the workforce but accounted for some of the highest counts of work-related accidents.
One common cause for their high injury rate has to do with the positions that they hold, like those in restaurant where there are knives, slippery floors and dangerous equipment present.
Knowledge about job requirements and expectations can help to reduce the risks for an accident.
Workers age 16- and 17-years-old:
-Can only work 4 hours on a school day.
-Can only work 8 hours on a non-school day.
-Can only work 40 hours during a non-school week.
-May not work before 6:00 a.m.
-May not work after 9:00 p.m.
-May not work during school hours.
-Are to be properly trained by employees regarding the tasks that need to be completed on the job.
-Are to be provided with the proper safety equipment to perform the job.
-Should be treated without any form of discrimination.
-Should be encouraged to speak up about any on-the-job dangers.
There were nearly 400 employees under the age of 24 who were killed in work-related accidents in 2009. More than 25 of these fatalities happened to workers who were under the age of 18. In addition to these fatal accidents, there were nearly 1,000,000 injuries resulting from work accidents during the same year. The injury rate for these young workers is about two times higher than the rate among workers who are over the age of 24.
If you or someone you love has been injured at work in Atlanta or in any of the surrounding areas, contact your Georgia Worker’s Compensation Lawyers at J. Franklin Burns, P.C. to schedule a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 404-920-4708 .
More Blog Entries:
Work Zone Accidents in Atlanta Addressed with Statewide Stand Down, Georgia Workers Compensation Attorney Blog, April 23, 2012
Gilmore v. Director, Department of Labor Restates the Law Surrounding an Appeal for Georgia Workers’ Compensation, Georgia Workers Compensation Attorney Blog, April 20, 2012
