Work-related injury among Connecticut minors

Work-related injuries have recently been shown to be a significant cause of morbidity among adolescents. This study represents a population-based work-related injury profile for Connecticut minors. Review of 796 worker compensation reports for adolescents from 14 through 17 years of age submitted over 12 months revealed an overall age-specific injury rate of 15 per 1000 employed 16- and 17-year-olds; frequency of injury increased with age. Social and recreational workers had an injury rate of more than 20%, predominantly sprains and contusions. Among all other occupations and industries, cuts were the major type of injury (34%); more than one third of cutting injuries were associated with use of case cutters, another third with knives. There were no work-related deaths among minors in this study. Minors in the workplace are at high risk of injury compared with adults. This study suggests that identification of specific patterns of work-related injury could lead to targeted intervention strategies.