NIOSH, AIHA launch young worker education program

Orlando, FL – NIOSH and the American Industrial Hygiene Association have launched an initiative to raise awareness about occupational safety and health among young workers.

Released Oct. 27 at AIHA’s Fall Conference, Safety Matters is a one-hour interactive teaching module targeting students in grades 7 through 12 and is based on NIOSH’s Youth@Work: Talking Safety curriculum.

In the module, which AIHA members will help deliver at the nation’s schools and among youth groups, young workers can learn about identifying workplace hazards and emergencies, injury and illness prevention, and communicating with others when they feel unsafe.

In 2013, more than 23,000 workers younger than 20 were injured severely enough that they required days away from work to recover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.