Work experience can be a great benefit to you and your employer! Regardless of where you work - restaurant, grocery store, office, or on a farm, OSHA's mission is to prevent injuries and protect the health of America's teen workers by promoting positive and safe work experiences.
Work experience can be a great benefit to you, but it may also be hazardous...
Did you know that every year many young workers die from injuries in the United States? Work injuries may occur from:	Teens are killed at work most often from:
Unsafe equipment Stressful conditions Inadequate safety training Inadequate supervision Dangerous work that is illegal or inappropriate for youth Trying to hurry Alcohol and drug use	Homicide Driving or traveling as passengers in motor vehicles Machine-related accidents Electrocution Falls For additional information, see: Windau J, Meyer S. Profile of work injuries incurred by young workers. Monthly Labor Review. 2005 Oct;128(10):11-23. Available as a 101 KB PDF, 13 pages.
Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine at 202-693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prohibits workers under the age of 18 from doing tasks identified as hazardous such as driving forklifts, or using electric meat slicers. It also limits the hours you can work.

Agricultural youth workers: hours permitted and jobs permitted. Non-agricultural youth workers: hours permitted and jobs permitted.

Agricultural Hazards: Agriculture is the most dangerous industry for young workers. [Preventing Deaths, Injuries, and Illnesses of Young Workers. National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) Alert, (2003, July)]. 42% of the young workers killed from 1992-2000, lost their lives in farming jobs. A third of these accidents involved tractors.  More than half of these fatalities occurred on farms owned by the victims' families. For additional information on work hazards and safety solutions in agriculture see: Youth in Agriculture. OSHA eTool. Agricultural Jobs Potential Hazards Farming jobs If you are under 16 years of age, Child Labor Laws forbid you from operating certain equipment, including tractors; state laws may be even more stringent.   Heavy machinery (Tractors) Unprotected heights (Falls) Falling or flying objects Natural hazards Electrocution Organic dust Confined spaces Chemicals Noise Non-Agricultural Hazards: In non-agricultural trades retail has the highest number of workplace fatalities among young workers. Between 1992 and 2000, 63% of these deaths were due to assaults and violent acts. [Preventing Deaths, Injuries, and Illnesses of Young Workers. National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) Alert, (2003, July)]. Non-Agricultural Jobs Potential Hazards Real Stories Food service/ fast food For additional information on work hazards and solutions in restaurants work, see Teen Worker Safety in Restaurants. OSHA eTool. Violent crimes  Sharp objects - Cuts  Hot cooking equipment - burns  Slippery floors  Electricity Heavy lifting Retail stores/grocery stores According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, homicide was the leading cause of death among youths in retail trade, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the youth fatalities in the industry. Violent crimes  Heavy lifting Box crushers Janitorial/clean-up/ maintenance work   Hazardous cleaning chemicals  Slippery floors Heavy lifting Blood on discarded needles Electricity Vehicles Office/Clerical Repetitive trauma (Typing) Back and neck strain Stress Industry If you are under 18 years of age, you are not allowed to operate power-driven machines, including:  power-driven meat slicers and meat grinders; forklifts; paper balers and cardboard compactors; power-driven bakery equipment, including mixers; power-driven woodworking equipment, including chain saws and circular saws. Protecting Young Workers: Prohibition against Young Workers Operating Forklifts. OSHA Safety and Health Bulletin (SHIB), (2003, September 23). Also available as a 109 KB PDF, 4 pages. Machinery Hot equipment - Burns   Hazardous cleaning chemicals Electricity Construction Work If you are under 16 years of age, you are not allowed to work on construction sites by law.  Machines and tools Confined spaces Electricity Falls "Struck-by" "Caught between" Outdoor Work Exposure to the sun Extreme temperatures Respiratory hazards For other potential general hazards that teens can be exposed to on the job, see Potential Hazards. Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine at 202-693-2300 for assistance accessing OSHA PDF materials.