Prudent management of minors with occupational exposures to hazardous agents: the radiation protection "standard of care".

For adolescents under the age of 18, holding a job is a beneficial experience, not only for the income, but also for the discipline, education, and skills acquired. although no accurate statistics are available that describe the actual numbers of adolescent workers, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that at least 4 million minors were legally registered as employees in the country in 1988. This number was acknowledged to be a significant underestimation of the actual number of working minors because the data did not consider agricultural work, nor the common practice of employing minors without oYcial reporting to avoid payment of taxes. Minors hold jobs in virtually every major sector of the economy, with retail trade, service industries, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction being the settings most often involved.’ The potential health and safety hazards associated with these work settings range from operating motor vehicles or powered equipment, to exposures to toxic chemicals, potentially infectious agents, or sources of radiation. Nearly 70 deaths and an estimated 37 405 job related injuries requiring emergency room treatment aVected working adolescents 14 through 17 years of age in the US in 1993. These unfortunate events are thought to be caused by lack of experience or maturity, inadequate training, or inappropriately designed safety equipment. 4 5 Opportunities for the induction of illnesses in working minors also exist, and, given the physiological and psychological diVerences between this population and adults, the risks associated with occupational exposures to toxic substances is likely to be heightened. Unfortunately, reliable data on the health eVects of occupational exposures among minors are not currently available. So, in recognition of these special risks, safety professionals should consider the implementation of a set of formal practices for the protection of working minors. The parents of working minors should inquire about the availability of such measures when considering the overall benefits of a job for their children. Prudent protection practices might include parental consent, customized safety training, voluntary reductions in exposure levels, and increased worksite safety surveillance. The radiation protection profession has made some initial progress in this regard and this work can be used as the basis upon which a more comprehensive program could be developed.