Adolescent occupational injuries in fast food restaurants: An examination of the problem from a national perspective

Work injuries to adolescents are most prevalent in the retail trades indust ry, with a large portion occurring in eating and drinking establishments (E &DEs). Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were ex amined for nonfatal injuries to adolescents, ages 14 through 17, injured wh ile working in fast food restaurants (a subcategory of E&DEs) from July 1, 1992, to June 30, 1994. There were an estimated 44,765 adolescent injuries in E&DEs, with an estimated 27,997 in fast food restaurants, during this pe riod. The injury rate for E&DEs in the 15 through 17 age group was higher t han for all other industries combined (rate ratio [RR] = 1.7), with little disparity in rates between the sexes. This study identifies the fast food i ndustry as the source of a large proportion of occupational injuries to ado lescents, and indicates that task-specific risk factors seem to be strongly related to sex.