The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.
- A new study reveals the safest states for young workers - Maine is top, with an annual average of 0.37 deaths per 100,000 people.
- Rhode Island follows in second with an average of 0.44 deaths per 100,000, followed by Delaware in third with 0.49 annual deaths per 100,000.
- The state that reported the highest death rate for young workers was Alaska with 7.44 deaths per 100,000.
As a generation that is relatively inexperienced and new to the workforce, young workers can be some of the most vulnerable and at risk of injury while on the job.
Personal injury lawyers Whitley Law Firm decided to investigate the safest and most dangerous states for young workers aged 16 to 24. The research examined data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and analyzed the data on fatal occupational industries from 2011 to 2022 to identify the states with the lowest and highest proportions of young worker fatalities.
The reports outline the total number of deaths in every state each year from 2011 to 2022 to calculate the annual average deaths adjusted to the state’s population.
Maine was deemed the safest state for young workers with 0.37 yearly deaths per 100,000 people. Maine reported a total of three deaths from 2011-2022.
The second safest state was Rhode Island, which had an average annual death count of 0.44 per 100,000 people. Rhode Island reported 3 total deaths between 2011 and 2022.
Ranking as the third safest state was Delaware with 0.49 deaths a year per 100,000 people, and 3 total deaths from 2011 to 2022.
Connecticut and New Hampshire were also among the safest states reported, with 0.56 and 0.61 annual deaths per 100,000 people, respectively. This corresponded to 11 total deaths in Connecticut and six in New Hampshire.
Other states that had low rates of fatalities among young workers were Nevada (0.71), Utah (0.83), Minnesota (0.86), Ohio (0.87), and New York (0.93).
The top 10 safest states for young workers
At the other end of the spectrum, Alaska was found to be the most dangerous state for young workers with an annual average of 7.44 deaths per 100,000 people. This corresponded to 36 deaths of young workers from 2011 to 2022.
Following in second was North Dakota, with an annual rate of 4.31 young worker deaths per 100,000 people. North Dakota reported 27 young worker deaths from 2011 to 2022.
In third was New Mexico, with 3.92 yearly young worker deaths per 100,000 people. This figure represented 50 deaths in total between 2011 and 2022.
Ranking fourth was Mississippi, which reported an annual 2.83 young worker fatalities per 100,000 people. Mississippi reported 46 instances in 2011-2022 of young workers being fatally injured on the job.
Rounding out the top five was Louisiana, which reported 2.79 young worker fatalities a year per 100,000 people. This corresponded to 74 fatal accidents from 2011 to 2022.
Other states that had high rates of young worker fatalities from 2011 to 2022 were West Virginia (2.74), Oklahoma (2.67), Hawaii (2.62), South Dakota (2.56), and Texas (2.53).
The top 10 most dangerous states for young workers
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for Whitley Law Firm said: “Fatalities among young workers are a serious occupational safety concern, and while this data is encouraging news for some states, it is alarming news for others.
“Although no state suffered zero young worker deaths, rates in states such as Maine, Rhode Island, and Delaware were very low. On the other hand, it is clearly an issue that needs addressing in Alaska, which had a higher death count than any other state.
“It is also interesting to look at the regional patterns. There were five southern states among the 10 most dangerous states, whereas half of the 10 safest states were in the Northeast. This could be due to circumstances such as inconsistent safety standards from region to region, the number of young workers being employed in potentially hazardous occupations, or the overall prevalence of high-risk industries in states.
“Young worker fatalities are often rooted in a combination of factors such as inexperience, inadequate training, and a lack of hazard awareness. Since workers aged 16 to 24 are often new to the workforce, they’re more vulnerable to accidents in high-risk industries such as construction, agriculture, and manufacturing.
“Furthermore, young workers are also more likely to work in temporary or part-time roles, where safety procedures may not be as robust or strictly enforced. Young workers may be more hesitant to report unsafe conditions or reach out about any concerns.
“The main way that states can minimize young worker deaths is by implementing prevention strategies. This should include comprehensive training, strict safety protocols that are effectively communicated, and fostering a safe environment that emphasizes the importance of hazard reporting without fear of being dismissed or penalized. It’s also important that companies comply with any external regulators or laws to ensure that everybody can work as safely as possible.”
ENDS
If you use this study, please credit and link to: https://whitleylawfirm.com/
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Methodology: The US Bureau of Labor Statistics was scraped for data on fatal occupational injuries from 2011 to 2022 for each of the following age groups: 16-17, 18-19, and 20-24. The number of deaths was retrieved. The number of deaths in total for these age groups were added up and calculated as average yearly deaths. This value was compared with the 2022 population of employed 16–24-year-olds per state to give average yearly deaths per 100K population. This was then ranked from highest to lowest, indicating which states are the worst for young workers.
The most dangerous states for young workers – full data
