Among many of the potential out-of-school activities that are available to older children, paid employment and volunteering are two common le-gal options. According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the estimated number of 16- and 17-year-olds in the workforce in 2006 was 2.4 million, or 32.5% within that age group (Rauscher & Myers, 2008).
Minors (younger than age 18) generally work during summer, the academic year after school and/or weekends. In New Jersey, how-ever, through school-sponsored programs, minors and other students up to age 21, such as special-needs students, may participate in paid and unpaid structured learning experiences (SLEs) during and/or after school as part of their educational program (students receive grades and/or school credit).
More than 200,000 adolescents in the U.S. suffer work-related injuries every year, and working teenagers have been consistently shown to be more likely to suffer an occupational injury compared to adults. Thus, it is necessary to investigate potential associations between adolescent working conditions and adverse health outcomes to inform policies, programs, interventions and daily occupational safety and health professional practice, including jobsite process, engineering and administrative controls.
