Older workers are at greatly increased risk of work-related injuries and fatalities.
In 1997, the rate of fatal traumatic injuries was 19.5 per 100,000 workers aged 65 years and older compared to 4.1 per 100,000 workers aged 25 to 34. Younger workers are at increased risk of work-related injury because they often have limited job knowledge, training, and skills. Private industry reported that in 1993, more than 95,000 illnesses and injuries that involved days away from work occurred in workers ages 16 to 19. An estimated 70,000 adolescents required treatment for work-related injuries in emergency rooms during 1997. For people of color the nature and magnitude of risks have not been thoroughly studied, though data on occupational injuries and deaths indicate that blacks have the highest rates per 100,000 workers compared with those of whites and workers of other races.