Table of Contents

Resources

Young Worker Safety Resource Center

For general information about the Northeast Young Worker Network, specific information on activities in each State, and ordering information for all materials described in this guide, contact the YWSRC.

The Young Worker Safety Resource Center is funded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to serve State and local staff from job readiness programs, employers of youth, and other education and employment-related organizations that serve youth. The Center provides training on teaching teens about occupational safety; seminars for employers of youths; consultation and referrals for State departments of education and workforce development, as well as other organizations who want to conduct young worker safety training; and materials (described under “Materials” below). The Young Worker Safety Resource Center has two offices.

Education Development Center, Inc.

55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458-1060

http://www.edc.org/

Chris Miara, Project Coordinator
(617) 618-2238

cmiara@edc.org

Labor Occupational Health Program

Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
University of California
2223 Fulton Street–4th Floor
Berkeley, CA 94720-5120

socrates.berkeley.edu/~lohp/

Diane Bush, Project Coordinator
(510) 642-5507

dbush@uclink4.berkeley.edu

State and Regional Contacts

These agencies and organizations are central to the issue of young worker safety and essential participants on a State team. Each description is followed by a contact that can help you locate agencies and organizations in your State and region.

Labor Department Contacts

OSHA develops and enforces safety and health regulations for all workers. OSHA staff have the expertise and resources to help State efforts promote the safety of teen workers.

OSHA has ten regional offices, with staff assigned to each State. Its Compliance Assistance Specialists are available to provide tailored information and training to employers and employees.

With the encouragement of OSHA, many States have developed and operate their own job safety and health programs, referred to as State Plans. OSHA approves and monitors State plans and provides up to 50 percent of an approved plan’s operating costs.

There are currently 23 States and jurisdictions operating complete State Plans (covering both the private sector and State and local government employees) and three—Connecticut, New Jersey and New York—which cover public employees only.

For information and staff responsible for your State, contact:

U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20210

(800) 321-6742
http://www.osha.gov

Youths 14–17 years old are subject to Federal and State child labor laws. Therefore, staff from both Federal and State wage and hour offices are essential members of State teams.

The Federal Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is the office within the Federal Department of Labor that enforces Federal minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping, and child labor laws. There are five WHD regional offices and at least one WHD office in every State. The WHD Web site provides information about these issues and includes a section on Federal child labor rules.

State Wage and Hour offices, typically located within State departments of labor, are responsible for enforcing State minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping, and child labor laws.

For the Federal WHD staff responsible for your State, contact:

Toll free: (866) 487–9243
http://www.dol.gov/esa/contacts/whd/america2.htm

For your State Wage and Hour Office, see

Interstate Labor Standards Association at http://www.ilsa.net.

Workforce Investment Boards oversee job training programs, including those for youth, funded through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), a major Federal job training program. States are divided into WIA Service Delivery Areas, each of which is served by a WIB. These activities are coordinated at the State level. The control that WIBs have over funding and conditions at job training programs make them extremely beneficial partners on a State team.

For information on the Workforce Investment Act, contact:

Office of Career Transition Assistance
Employment and Training Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, NW–Room S4231
Washington, DC 20210

(202) 693–3045
AskWIA@doleta.gov

For a list of the State offices coordinating WIA activities, see

http://www.usworkforce.org/statecon.htm.

For an updated list of contact information for all Workforce Investment Act service delivery areas in the country, contact

National Association of Counties
440 First Street, NW–Suite #800
Washington, DC 20001

(202) 393–6226
http://www.naco.org/programs/social/work/getstate.cfm.

Public Health Offices

Each State health officer designates an injury prevention director. The injury prevention director oversees injury prevention activities within the State health department and can identify other injury prevention personnel within the department (for example, in the State Maternal and Child Health Office).

To locate the injury prevention director in your State or territory, contact

David Scharf, Executive Director
State & Territorial Injury Prevention Directors’ Association (STIPDA)
2965 Flowers Road South, Suite 105
Atlanta, GA 30034

(770) 690–9000
http://www.stipda.org/

Most State MCH offices have a designated MCH injury prevention coordinator. Many State health departments also have a designated adolescent health coordinator who addresses issues of adolescent health, including alcohol and other drug use and safe driving.

State contacts are available from the Federal MCHB or its national resource center, the Children’s Safety Network

Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Injury and Violence Prevention Program
Health Resources and Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
5600 Fishers Lane–Room 18–A–38
Rockville, MD 20857

(301) 443–5720
http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/

CSN National Injury and Violence Prevention Resource Center
Education Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458–1060

(617) 969–7100
csn@edc.org
http://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org

State occupational health programs conduct surveillance and educational activities to improve worker safety and health. They help employers comply with occupational safety and health laws, and operate laboratories to analyze potentially toxic substances found in current or former workplaces. NIOSH maintains a Directory of Occupational Safety and Health Contacts for State and Territorial Health Departments.

For a list of State contacts, see

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/statosh.html

Education Agencies

STW offices coordinate activities designed to prepare youth for entry into the workplace. These activities typically involve local partnerships in which students are exposed to a variety of career choices through on-the-job experiences, apprenticeships, and mentoring. These offices (which are not always titled “School-to-Work”) can be independent agencies, or located within various State departments, including education, commerce, and labor. To locate the STW office in your State, contact your State department of education.

State vocational education offices are responsible for vocational and technical education, which may take place in comprehensive high schools, vocational technical schools, vocational centers, and post-secondary educational institutions.

To locate the office in your State, contact:

National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education
The Hall of States
444 North Capitol Street, NW– Suite 830
Washington, DC 20001

(202) 737–0303
http://www.careertech.org

Non-Governmental Organizations

AAP has more than 55,000 members and at least one chapter in every State. AAP’s Section on Injury and Poison Prevention (SIPP) is composed of members interested in preventing injuries for children. AAP has issued policy statements on The Hazards of Child Labor, Prevention of Agricultural Injuries among Children and Adolescents, and The Role of the Pediatrician in Transitioning Children, and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses from School to Work or College, all of which can be found on the AAP Web site.

To locate the AAP chapter and SIPP members in your State, contact:

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007–1098

(847) 434–4000
http://www.aap.org

COSHes are coalitions of union representatives, workers, physicians, lawyers, and health and safety advocates who provide occupational safety and health training to unions, workers, and young people, and educate the public about occupational health and safety. There are about 25 COSHes nationwide as well as a number of COSH-related organizations. A list of these can be found on the NYCOSH Web site at http://www.nycosh.org/link-resources.htm/#anchor565960.

For more information on locating a COSH or affiliated organizations, visit

http://www.coshnetwork.org

Safety Council

Most States have at least one Safety Council, local affiliates of the National Safety Council that provide training, conferences, workshops, consultation, newsletters, legislative, regulatory, and research updates and safety materials at the State and community level. The National Safety Council began with a focus on occupational safety but has since expanded its focus into other areas of injury prevention.

For information about State Safety Councils, contact:

National Safety Council
1121 Spring Lake Drive
Itasca, IL 60143–3201

(630) 285–1121
http://www.nsc.org/chaptop.htm#LIST

Unions

Unions may be especially valuable for addressing safety in a particular industry in which they have a substantial membership. While not every union is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, it is a good national resource for locating a union in your area that may be interested in working with you on the issue of young worker safety.

For local unions, contact:

AFL–CIO
815 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006

(202) 637–5000
http://www.aflcio.org

Other Sources of Information

NIOSH is the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for preventing work-related illnesses and injuries. NIOSH collects and analyzes occupational health data; conducts investigations and evaluates hazardous working conditions, chemicals, and machinery; and develops and disseminates information about preventing occupational diseases, injuries, and disabilities.

NIOSH funds the regional Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention on issues that include child agricultural health and safety. NIOSH also supports the work of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS), located in Marshfield, Wisconsin. NCCRAHS engages in research and prevention activities on agricultural safety and health as well as other health and safety issues pertinent to children living in rural areas.

For general information about NIOSH, contact

(800) 356–4674
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

For information about the regional Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/agctrhom.html

For information about NCCRAHS

Toll free phone: (888) 924–7233 or (715) 389–4999
nccrahs@mfldclin.edu
http://www.research.marshfieldclinic.org/children

The BLS collects, analyzes, and disseminates statistical data on work and the conditions of work in the United States.

The BLS can be reached at

202–606–5886
http://www.bls.gov

A Web site created by the U.S. Department of Labor with resources for parents, teachers, teens, and employers.

http://www.youthrules.dol.gov

A Web site created by OSHA with teen worker safety and health information.

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

Resource Materials

Young Worker Safety Resources is an annotated list of materials, including those described in this guide. This list can be obtained from

The Young Worker Safety Resource Center
Education Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458–1060

(617) 618–2238
cmiara@edc.org
http://www.edc.org/

The following are items that can be particularly useful in your State efforts to protect the safety of young workers.

Curricula and Teachers’ Guides

Safe Jobs for Youth: A Theme-Based Curriculum Unit for High School Students
UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program, 2000

This 10-class, 2-week curriculum is designed to give young people information and skills related to workplace safety and health. This material uses interactive, student-centered activities. The lesson plans cover a variety of topics including child labor law information, job safety hazards and solutions, handling sexual harassment on the job, and workers’ compensation for working teens. It is designed for the 9th grade, but is also very appropriate for 10–12 grade students. Includes the 12-minute video, Your Work–Keepin’ It Safe, which covers safety and health hazards in fast food, construction, and grocery stores and shows teens teaching teens. The video can also be ordered separately.

Contact:

UCLA-LOSH Program
6350B Public Policy Bldg
Los Angeles, CA
90095–1478

(310) 794–5964

Available to view or download online at http://www.sppsr.ucla.edu/res_ctrs/iir/losh/.

Safe Jobs, Safe Youth: A Teacher’s Resource Kit
California Young Worker Resource Network, 2000

This packet includes a plan for teaching students about basic safety and legal rights on the job, a short interactive activity that offers an introduction to the many health and safety issues that employment raises for youth, a Safe Jobs for Youth poster, a copy of the pamphlet, Are You a Working Teen?, stickers, and an order form for requesting further working teen resources.

Contact:

LOHP, University of California at Berkeley
2223 Fulton St
Berkeley, CA
94720–5120

(510) 642–5507 or download at http://www.youngworkers.homestead.com/.

Safe Work/Safe Workers: A Guide for Teaching High-School Students about Occupational Safety and Health
Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Education Development Center, rev. 2001

This 3-hour curriculum uses interactive activities to teach teens about workplace hazards, effective strategies to prevent occupational illnesses and injuries, their rights on the job, and the resources available to assist them. Includes a 10-minute video entitled Teens: The Hazards We Face in the Workplace, which includes interviews by teens of other teens who were injured at work.

Contact:

Children’s Safety Network, EDC
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA
02458

(617) 618–2207

Starting Safely: Teaching Youth about Workplace Safety and Health
Workplace Development Center, 2000

This teacher’s guide is designed to teach high school students the basic concepts of occupational health and safety and to raise their awareness about these issues. It uses a video and a series of interactive activities.

Contact:

Maine Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Standards
45 State House Station
Augusta, ME
04333–0045

(207) 624–6400.

Work Safe! A Health And Safety Curriculum For Youth Employment Programs
Labor Occupational Health Program, 2000

This curriculum is designed to help job training programs teach their youth participants about job health and safety in a fun and interesting way. It consists of four learning activities and includes handouts and a copy of Are You a Working Teen? Protect Your Health, Know Your Rights.

Contact:

LOHP, University of California at Berkeley
2223 Fulton Street, 4th floor
Berkeley, CA
94720–5120

(510) 642–5507

Educational Resources for Teens, Employers and Parents

Are You a Working Teen? What You Should Know About Safety and Health on the Job
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1997

This brochure gives information to teens about the dangers of occupational injury and the rights of teens in the workplace. It also outlines the Federal laws and regulations regarding adolescent employment, specifically what types of jobs and the number of hours teens are allowed to work. It provides resources on workplace safety and rights.

Contact:

NIOSH at 1–800–35–NIOSH or http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/adoldoc.html.

Tools for Orienting Work Site Supervisors about Teen Health and Safety
Labor Occupational Health Program, 2000

This is an information packet for work site supervisors, with four tools to use in job training programs:

1. Checklist for Job Trainers and Job Developers
   
   
2. Safety Training Agreement
   
   
3. Safety Orientation Checklist
   
   
4. Facts for Employers—Safe Jobs for Teens

Contact:

LOHP, University of California
2223 Fulton Street, Berkeley, CA
94720

(510) 642–5507

Parents’ Primer: When Your Teen Works
National Consumers League, 1997

This pamphlet advises parents on the number of hours teenagers of different ages should work; how to prevent teens from becoming involved in hazardous employment; warning signs that a teen is working too much or in a hazardous workplace; and information about Federal child labor laws.

Contact:

National Consumers League
1701 K Street, N.W., #1201
Washington, DC
20006

(202) 835-3323

or view online at http://www.stopchildlabor.org/aboutus/clcresources.htm.

Reports and Guides for Professionals

Promoting Safe Work for Young Workers: A Community-Based Approach
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1999

This resource guide documents the experiences of three projects funded by NIOSH to promote safety and health for young workers. The guide provides summaries of the three projects, gives facts about young worker safety and health, and lists steps in coordinating a young worker project. Detailed guidance is given for working with schools, employers, parents, health care providers, job training programs, and teen peer education programs.

Contact:

NIOSH, Publications Dissemination
4676 Columbia Parkway, Mail Stop C-13
Cincinnati, OH
45226–1998

(800) 35-NIOSH
pubstaft@cdc.gov.

Protecting Youth at Work: Health, Safety and Development of Working Children and Adolescents in the United States

Committee on the Health and Safety Implications of Child Labor
Institute of Medicine, 1998

The committee presents a wide range of data and analysis on: the scope of youth employment; factors that put children and adolescents at risk in the workplace; and the effects of employment on health, educational attainment and lifestyle choices. The committee recommends specific initiatives for legislators, regulators, researchers and employers.

Contact:

National Academy Press

(800) 624–6242 or
(202) 334–3313

or order on-line at http://www.nap.edu/bookstore.

Report on the Youth Labor Force
U.S. Department of Labor, 2000

Presents a brief summary of key aspects of the U.S. laws and regulations governing child labor. Provides a detailed look at youth labor in this country, including how it differs among major demographic groups, between agricultural and nonagricultural sectors and overtime. Describes the outcomes of young people’s work activities, including occupational injuries and fatalities and other long-term consequences.

Contact: US DOL, Available for download at http://www.bls.gov/opub/rylfhome.htm.

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