Work-related injuries in young workers: an Italian multicentric epidemiological survey.

Emergency departments records from 33 hospitals were reviewed to disclose work-related injuries occurred in teen-subjects living in 14 Italian cities. During January-June 2000, 317 work-related injuries were reported. Male subjects, 17 year old, working in the industrial field, resulted the most affected, probably due to the fact that among young workers this sex and age class is the most represented one. Cluster analysis identified two groups of work-related injuries: one includes mainly transportation injuries causing lower extremities or multiple body sites traumas. The other is more strictly related to specific working tasks and includes mostly traumas and cut wounds in hand/wrist and head, together with eye lesions. A more intensive supervision on the use of protective equipment, a more appropriate training in hazard recognition and safe work practices, including operation of vehicles in the work site, must be implemented to reduce work-related injuries.

[1]  E. V. Beeck.  Priorities in Injury Epidemiology , 2003, European Journal of Epidemiology.

[2]  M. Tagliaventi.  Bambini e adolescenti che lavorano. Un panorama dall'Italia all'Europa , 2004 .

[3]  C. Andrés,et al.  International Labour Organisation (ILO) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) , 2004 .

[4]  M Koehoorn,et al.  Age related differences in work injuries and permanent impairment: a comparison of workers’ compensation claims among adolescents, young adults, and adults , 2003, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[5]  Angelo Mattioni.  Legge 28 marzo 2003, n. 53. Delega al Governo per la definizione delle norme generali sull'istruzione e dei livelli essenziali delle prestazioni in materia di istruzione e formazione professionale (estratto) , 2003 .

[6]  L. L. Jackson,et al.  Non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States , 2001, Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.

[7]  R J Brison,et al.  Surveillance of hospitalized farm injuries in Canada , 2001, Injury Prevention.

[8]  D H Wegman,et al.  Protecting youth at work. , 1999, American journal of industrial medicine.

[9]  D H Wegman,et al.  Young workers. , 1999, Occupational medicine.

[10]  N. Stout,et al.  Adolescent occupational injuries requiring hospital emergency department treatment: a nationally representative sample. , 1994, American journal of public health.

[11]  L A Layne,et al.  Occupational injury deaths of 16- and 17-year-olds in the United States. , 1994, American journal of public health.

[12]  S. Gallagher,et al.  Work-related injuries among Massachusetts children: a study based on emergency department data. , 1993, American journal of industrial medicine.

[13]  A Villers Ruiz,et al.  Statistical package for the social sciences (spss) , 1981 .

[14]  M. Key.  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; occupational exposure to inorganic lead: request for comments and information; republication--NIOSH. Request for comments and information relevant to occupational exposure to inorganic lead. , 1997, Federal register.

[15]  N. Nie,et al.  Statistical Package for the Social Sciences , 1970 .