Understanding Burn Injuries among Teen Workers PI
A first job offers a great chance for Missouri teens to learn independence and save for the future. Like all Missouri workers, however, Missouri teens face certain risks in the workplace, because no business is accident-proof.
Teens who work in food service, including fast food, face an increased risk of burn injuries, as well as falls and other possible accidents. An experienced Missouri burn injury attorney can help your teen protect his or her legal rights, but you and your teen can also work to reduce the risk of burn injuries by understanding how they occur.
Important Statistics
About 25,200 teen workers are injured in fast-food service every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About one in every five injured workers in this group, or about 5,000, suffer burn injuries.
Burn Injury Risks and Prevention
Although many states, including Missouri, limit the types of work that young workers may do in order to reduce their burn injury risk, the presence of cooking appliances like grills, deep fryers, and heat lamps means the risk of a burn is always present.
Managers in fast-food restaurants should have first aid training, especially for burn injuries. The use of simple safety equipment and materials can also reduce burn injury risks. For instance, using slip-resistant flooring and mats and cleaning regularly with a grease-cutting agent can decrease the risks that a worker will slip and fall against a grill or fryer, causing a burn.
After Suffering a Work-Related Burn Injury
Missouri teen workers often have the same rights to workers’ compensation as older workers. If your teen has suffered an injury on-the-job, we can help. Contact Attorney John Page to learn more.
