activities to promote workplace safety and

health, and child labor laws.

• Participation with career/technical education

organizations in meetings and student

career/technical skills competitions.

www.youthrules.dol.gov

OSHA Education and Training

• Several of OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices

periodically offer training for career/technical

teachers for use in school occupational safety

and health courses. Other OSHA offices have

worked with youth groups on safety and health

programs and developed training for youth in

specific workplaces.

www.osha.gov/html/oshdir.html 

• OSHA awards Susan Harwood Training Grants

to nonprofit organizations for preparation of

occupational safety and health curricula for

audiences including young workers.

www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/sharwood.html

OSHA Cooperative Programs

• OSHA’s Alliance Program enables employers,

trade or professional organizations, and educational institutions interested in young workers

to collaborate with OSHA on projects to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses in this age

group. Alliances that include a prominent

young worker safety and health component

include the American Society of Safety

Engineers, the Industrial Truck Association, 

and the National Safety Council and SkillsUSA.

www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/focus/youth_

alliances.html

OSHA Outreach

OSHA offers multiple outreach resources to help

young workers and their employers, parents, 

and teachers prevent and reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace.

Teen Workers Safety and Health Topics page

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/index.html

• Information about teen worker rights and

responsibilities. 

• Informational resources directed toward teens,

parents, employers, and teachers.

• Real stories about teens injured or killed at

work.

• Descriptions of potential workplace hazards and

how to prevent injury. 

• Sections on seasonal jobs (summer and winter), their hazards, and injury prevention.

• Electronic tools on young worker safety and

health in agriculture and in restaurants.

• Young worker resources in Spanish.

Publications

• Teen Workers – Brochure, OSHA 3244 

• Teen Workers – Poster, OSHA 3231 

This brochure and poster describe teens’ right to

a safe and healthy workplace and their responsibility to be safe.

Young worker events

• YouthRules! programs in cooperation with the

U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour

Division which include a summer job fair and

FactSheet

Young Workers

Most youth find paid employment, either during the summer or year-round, before

graduating from high school. Young workers, ages 14-24, are at risk of workplace

injury because of their inexperience at work and their physical, cognitive, and emotional developmental characteristics. They often hesitate to ask questions and may

fail to recognize workplace dangers. OSHA has made young workers a priority within the agency and is committed to identifying ways to improve young worker safety

and health. OSHA’s Young Worker Initiative addresses this group’s safety and health

through a multi-pronged outreach program.
• OSHA has Young Worker Coordinators in each

of the 10 OSHA regions to assist a variety of

groups including employers, small businesses,

trade associations, and community groups with

outreach, education, and training for young

workers. These coordinators meet periodically

by teleconference to discuss, plan, and evaluate

OSHA young worker programs.

• OSHA founded and organizes periodic meetings

of the Federal Network for Young Worker Safety

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or 

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of 

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

and Health (FedNet), 11 federal agencies that

collaborate to maximize the impact of federal

resources for young worker safety and health

while avoiding duplication of effort. FedNet

products include an informational packet about

youth fatalities in illegal forklift operations,

checklists to guide teens through a first employment experience, and an article about protecting young workers from workplace violence.

www.youngworkers.net

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

12/2005