Today, roughly 80 percent of all students work sometime during their high school career. And that’s why we have child labor laws — to help to make sure that our youngest workers have all of the time they need to tackle their education while also being able to work.According to the Georgia Department of Education, school with be back in session the first week of August.
Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers know our nation first passed a child-labor law in 1878. The federal child labor law, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), was enacted in 1938. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, when there are differences in the state and federal law, the law that provides the tougher and more stringent standard is the one usually observed.
Under the state’s child labor section, the rules, regulations and restrictions employers must follow when they have one of these school-aged workers on site are clearly stated. This accounts for all children 18 and under. Special rules exist for workers under 16 and most under 14 are prohibited from working for hire.
In 2010, there were close to 18 million workers in the force who were under the age of 24. These workers accounted for roughly 15 percent of the nation’s workforce. It’s important to remember that these young workers have a high occupational injury rate. This high rate can oftentimes be explained by the frequency of injury hazards and dangers in the workplaces that they’re likely to occupy. Some of these risks commonly include those in the restaurant settings, like slippery floors and sharp/hot objects.
Officials also credit their inexperience and a lack of safety training for higher injury rates.
And lastly, this high rate of injury on the job has been credited to their psychosocial and biologic factors. This means that they oftentimes don’t “fit” the job, aren’t strong enough for it or have other lacking cognitive abilities when it comes to operating heavy machinery or devices.
Our young workers are reminded that safe work is rewarding work. It’s important to remember that your employer is required, by law, to make sure that your workplace is safe and free of all known hazards and dangers. They’re required to follow all OSHA safety and health standards to prevent you from being injured or becoming ill on the job.
To Help To Stay Safe On The Job:
-Make sure you speak up and report any unsafe conditions on the job to a supervisor.
-Make sure you’re always wearing the proper safety gear.
-Know and always follow your job site’s safety rules.
-Exercise your workplace safety rights without discrimination or retaliation.
-If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it.
If you were the victim of a work accident in Atlanta, contact J. Franklin Burns, P.C., to speak with an experienced attorney. For a free consultation call 1-404-920-4708 today.
More Blog Entries:
More Teens with Jobs This Summer Means More Risk of Injury, Georgia Workers’ Compensation Attorney Blog, April 20, 2013
