| For Immediate Release | CONTACT: | Carol McKay |
| 6/26/01 | (202) 835-3323, ext 116 | |
| media@nclnet.org | ||
Washington,
DC— The
National Consumers League warns teens and their parents today about dangerous
and sometimes deadly summer jobs. Every year in the U.S. 200,000 young workers
under the age of 18 are injured on the job. In 1999, 72 employees under 18 died
from work-related injuries. Many teenagers are working in unsafe conditions or
are not receiving the training they need to stay safe on the job. Others are
being paid “under the table” by employers who often fail to follow the child
labor laws related to working hours or prohibited occupations and machinery.
NCL
released its five worst teen jobs today to alert teens and their parents about
these dangerous positions. “Teens and their parents should discuss the type of
work, the training provided, the hours they’ll spend on the job, and the level
of supervision,” said Linda Golodner, NCL president. “Above all, teens
should avoid the five worst jobs because no amount of money is worth an injury
or death on the job.”
Click here for the full alert with government statistics and examples of news reports.
Five
Worst Teen Jobs
1.
Delivery and other driving including: repairing, operating, or riding on
forklifts and other motorized equipment
2.
Working alone in cash-based businesses and late night work
3.
Traveling youth crews
4.
Cooking–exposure to hot oil and grease, hot water and steam, and hot
cooking surfaces
5.
Construction
and work at heights
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to identify, protect, represent, and advance the economic and social interests of consumers and workers. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
For more information, write the National Consumers League at 1701 K Street, N. W., Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20006; 202-835-3323.