Young Worker Injury Deaths: A Historical Summary of Surveillance and Investigative Findings

This document presents surveillance data summaries on young worker fatal injuries covering the 20-year period from 1994 to 2013. These summaries provide an assessment of fatality patterns and trends by industry, state, region and various demographic and injury variables. Complementing the summary of surveillance data is the presentation of investigative data summaries from case reports of fatal injuries to young workers for a 29-year period, 1982 to 2010. The investigations provide a richness of detail not available from the surveillance data. Collectively, the surveillance and investigative data summaries in this document provide insight for identifying issues affecting employed youth, recommending prevention measures, and assessing the effectiveness of child labor laws.

The purpose of this document is twofold. First, it chronicles the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) surveillance and investigative findings related to young worker fatal injuries. Second, it can be used by various academic and government entities and safety professionals to guide future research, develop injury prevention programs, and inform policymaking, all of which may serve to improve young worker safety.

Young Worker Injury Deaths: A Historical Summary of Surveillance and Investigative Findings [PDF – 2,706 KB]