Teen Work Accidents

Many parents in North Carolina encourage their teens to look for work during the summer recess. Be it to pay their studies, or just to have fun or travel, summer jobs are great for kids and a source of cheap labor for employers.

Great… but there is a catch. Young workers could be injured while at work; what happens then?

Should you worry about working teens getting injured?

There are several reasons why young workers may be far more at risk than a seasoned employee:

• Young workers are not always familiar with the work environment. Teenage workers typically sign up for temporary assignments and, when they start, may know virtually nothing about the place, people, procedures, products, and equipment, etc.
• Teenage workers are normally not used to working. They may not have the physical strength to sustain physical exertion during long hours. Furthermore, many teens have little knowledge about work environment basics, such as electric power, safety procedures, protective gear, chemicals, or employers’ duties, etc.

Employers of teenage workers should take extra precautions in light of these higher risks. In North Carolina, a number of jobs are off limits to workers under 18, including:

• Welding, brazing, torch cutting
• Roofing
• Electrical work
• Operating power driven machines
• Working on ladders or scaffold above 10 feet
• Food processing plants
• Meat packaging

The complete list of jobs banned for minors is available on the North Carolina Department of Labor website. On the same website, teenage workers will find the Youth Employment Certificate, a work permit that needs to be filled out before they start working.

What happens if a teen worker is injured at work?

Teenage workers are covered by the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act, and are entitled to benefits even under a temporary or part-time contract.

If you have been injured at work, and have the slightest doubt whether you should be covered under your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance, you should ask for advice from a reputed and experienced workplace accident lawyer.

Contact today Accidental Injury Advocates Ltd. in Elizabeth City, where attorney Joseph Miller, Esq has been representing injured North Carolina workers for over 20 years. Call us locally 757-455-8889 or toll-free 888-694-1671 or contact us online for a FREE, no commitment discussion of your case.