Every minute a young worker between the ages of 15 and 25 is injured on the job. Every day a young worker loses their life in a workplace incident.
Throughout April and May, BCSP participated in OSHA’s #MySafeSummerJob campaign.
Designed to raise awareness for the safety of youth in the workplace, the #MySafeSummerJob campaign focused on spreading information, sharing stories, and providing pertinent information to help keep our most at-risk segment of the workforce safe, especially during the summer months when an influx of young people join the workforce.
According to NIOSH, the top industries in summer youth employment are retail, construction, and leisure and hospitality. The leisure and hospitality sector accounts for 48% of teenage workers and is where most teenage injuries and illnesses occur. Thirty eight percent of teens injured on the job worked in the leisure and hospitality sector, with the retail trade being the second highest, accounting for 21% of all injuries.
In addition to participating in programs designed to help keep the young workforce safe, the BCSP Foundation has dedicated itself, through the Youth Safety Initiative, to the prevention of harm to young workers and to provide a base of safety knowledge for all young workers to bring with them into the workplace.
The Youth Safety Initiative is focused on accomplishing three major goals:
- To develop and deploy a comprehensive safety curriculum to be used in conjunction with general high school health and wellness courses and as a pre-employment program at state and federal levels, and vocational institutions and as a core strategy for the advancement of specific trades through apprenticeships.
- Direct investment in innovative research and design that positively impact the active participation of youth in the workforce.
- Outreach and awareness campaign designed to engage youth, parents, and employers regarding specific risk and risk mitigation strategies as defined by needs of the 16-24 demographic.
“Safety is the essential link that secures our future. Support is essential in advancing youth safety by educating and protecting the most vulnerable members of our workforce. Together, we can ensure safety is recognized as a global core value. The BCSP Foundation and our community of donors is investing today for a safer tomorrow,” said Christine McConnell, the Foundation’s Philanthropy Officer.
Workplace accidents are preventable. The best tool to prevent harm is knowledge. BCSP hopes that by spreading awareness of workplace hazards, we can send our youth home happy and healthy after a day’s work!